Defining Destiny
by EssaTheTwerp
Summary: Paul has imprinted on Rachel Black, infamous for her firey attitude. She hates anything to do with La Push, including him. Paul never wanted to imprint, but he can't seem to keep away. The path they take isn't easy. Who ever said easy meant fun? Complete.
1. Arriving Home

**Hey everybody!! Okay, so here is my Paul and Rachel story! The vast majority of people voted for this so here ya go!! And this is different from Breaking Dawn because well, honestly it's very boring to write about two people meeting and instantly falling in love and living happily ever. You just have to mess up their lives a little bit, you know? Anyways, here it is!!! **

**The first part of the chapter is in Rachel's POV! (And yeah, I realize that I made Paul one of the jerkiest boys out there but I did it on purpose, so ya.) AND one more thing, it's during BD. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

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**Chapter One – Arriving Home**

Oh my God, I still cannot believe I am doing this! Arg, right now I want to go up to Jake and smack his head several times so his brain sloshes around and he is permanently disabled. It was the Jacob excuse that got me here. Thinking back to the Fatal Phone Call, I gritted my teeth.

_Flashback-_

_"Rachel, God I'm so proud of you, I can't believe you graduated early!" Came my Dad's earnest voice and I smiled to myself, good old Dad. _

_"Thanks Dad! And now I'm off school early!" I said cheerfully. My friend Morgan flipped me off; she was a little pissed because she didn't get to graduate early. _

_"Really? Well that's great! You know, what with all that extra time, maybe you could come home for a bit…" He trailed off hearing my sharp intake of breath. It wasn't that I hated my dad or brother, but after living there for eighteen years, you can get really depressed about the weather, and the fact that there are hardly any people there. _

_"Dad, you know it would be really hard for me. Tickets are expensive. Plus, I want to make a living__** here**__! You know that there's an opening at a local high school for an English teacher! And I have all my friends, and a possible beau!" Aw crap, had I really just told Dad that I would have a possible BEAU? He sighed._

_"Rach, I miss you like hell. Jake… I haven't told you this, but Jake isn't around hardly any, in fact he ran away from home for a long time just a couple of months ago." My heart shattered for my Dad, and my head exploded with anger towards Jacob. Dad continued, "I'm getting really sad and lonely here, a visit from you would really cheer me up." He said, sounding like an old man in need of help. Well, I knew my old man better than that, yet I still answered, "Fine, when should I leave?" whilst heaving a dramatic sigh._

_End of Flashback_

Hence my anger at Jacob. Not only do I have to go to La Push, but he fucking ran away from home! How could he do that to Dad? The plane started to descend and I took a deep breath.

Port Angeles is the closest big city near La Push, about an hour away. As I looked through the crowds of people, trying to spot who would be driving me home. Dad said it was going to be Jake and one of his friends, Sam I think. My eyes swept the area, my attention caught on two HUGE guys. And I mean HUGE. They looked like they were on steroids, their muscles rippled as they walked and they hulked over everyone as they made their way through the airport. I rolled my eyes. "Stupid steroid-taking jerks." I muttered under my breath, a guy a few feet away from me glanced where I was looking and nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Those guys will never succeed if they succumb to drugs." He nodded once and left. I scanned the area once again, looking for Jake. He's an average teenage boy with a round face, long silky black hair, and an exuberant smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two guys coming towards me and I started to panic. Were they going to do something to me? Or were they just asking for directions. They come closer and closer until they were only mere inches in front of me. Identical scowls were planted on there faces.

"Hey Rachel, great to see you." The smaller of the two said. (Though he was in no means small.) I squinted at him.

"Um, sorry, do I know you?" I asked turning red, who the hell were they? The smaller one's ace turned into a smirk.

"Dad's gonna be surprised when he finds out you didn't recognize your own brother." He said, clearly in a teasing voice, but the hint of a scowl was still there. I gasped as I realized what he meant.

"Holy shit! Jacob! Is that seriously you?" I screeched, but as I looked closer I realized that it was definitely Jake. "Oh my God, what have you grown ten inches?" I laughed as I hugged him, anger forgotten. He grinned.

"Yeah, it was weird. I just had this really big growth spurt." He said, then I thought about it more.

"Ah crap, Jake. Please tell me that you aren't on drugs!" I hissed, suddenly livid. He shook it off, as if my anger couldn't affect him. Ha buddy, yeah right.

"_No_, Rachel. I am not on drugs, nor am I taking steroids." He said sounding irritated. I shrugged and smiled at the man next to him, who was concentrating on Jake for some reason.

"Hey, I'm Rachel! You must be um, Sam, I think?" I asked him. He nodded at me, but didn't say anything. We went to get my bags and hurried out of the airport. We didn't really have a problem. Everyone parted like Jake and Sam were freaking terrorists. I got quickly into the back as they stuffed my bags in the car like they were pillows. They were f-ing strong! I looked out the window as Sam started to drive. I was on the way to two weeks of boring.

**Paul POV**

I watched Quil as he started to chase Claire around the yard, going really slow so that she had the impression she was going at the speed of light. Shaking my head, I turned away from them and went into Sam and Emily's. I know he didn't really care, but I felt kind of sorry for him. He was always making an utter fool out of himself for an almost-three-year old. Claire was a cute kid; I had to admit, but still. I hoped to God that I would never imprint; if I did I would be really glad about it, but I would be brainwashed by whoever the damn girl was. Shaking my head, I caught a whiff of something good. I wandered into the kitchen and saw Emily. Seriously, the poor girl lived here.

"Hey, Paul! Don't you dare try to eat it all, I'm saving it for Sam for when he gets home from the airport." She warned. I looked at her questionably.

"Airport?" I asked, but I had a handful of cookies in my mouth so it came out sounding more like "Ar-porf?" She smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yeah, Jake has to go get his sister and Sam and Billy wanted to make sure he didn't run away again." She sighed.

"Oh, yeah. What was Jake's sister's name again?" I asked, suddenly remembering the picture of her in Jake's living room. She looked really, really-

"Don't even think about it Paul! Jake would probably find out if you fucked up his sister." Embry said entering the room. I glared at his and he grinned back. "Sorry dude, but he would kill you. He knows what a jerk you are." Embry shrugged and my anger reached a high. I shot up from the table and started to shake.

"_What?_ Did you just call me a _jerk_? You bastard! I'm gonna-" I said, moving forward to punch him.

"Don't even THINK about having a fight in this room, and Paul, if you so much as make a scratch on this table I will make Sam tell you to jump off a cliff!" She said, her words were said in an angry but not livid voice, but in truth Emily was probably the most dangerous person in the Pack. I took a step back and calmed down. Trying to do what Sam always tells me to do, thinking about things that made me happy, and things that calm me. Taking a deep breath, I sat back down. Embry just kept grinning that stupid smirk. Emily gave us both a brief, stern look. I warily looked at the fifth batch of cookies she was taking and the seventh she was putting (The sixth in the other oven) and willed time to move faster. I wanted Bella and Edward to get home so we could have a war finally. I had been waiting for one for quite some time, that was for sure. And if I died, who cared? There wasn't really anything exciting to live for.

**Rachel POV**

Sam parked in front of the familiar, little red house and I sighed as Jake got my bags out of the trunk. "Okay guys, I gotta run back to my house, remember, I'm only a _short_ phone call away." The last part seemed to be a warning directed towards Jake, and he shifted his feet sheepishly. Which reminded me… After Sam drove away and the last shred of happiness of seeing Jake again evaporated I rounded on him.

"And what is this running away from home business?" I hissed, jabbing my finger into his chest. He didn't say anything. "You know how pissed I was when I heard? Dad was probably worried SICK! And you know what kind of trouble you could have gotten into? What were you doing anyway? Giving girls blow-jobs?" I finished, he still said nothing. He averted his eyes from mine and I groaned. "Whatever, help me carry in my stuff." I ordered him and picked up one of my three suitcases, the lightest one, I might add. He got the two heavy ones like they were cakes and followed me. "You can just carry them to my room." I told him before plastering a smile on my face and entering the house. The T.V. was blaring and as I looked around I wrinkled my nose.

"Dad! I'm home!" I exclaimed coming into the living room. Dad's face whipped around to see me and a smile stretched across his lined face. He looked absolutely exhausted.

"Rachel! Welcome home!" He said, I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, the hug was kind of awkward on account of his wheelchair. I smiled at him, pondering his comment. I mean, home had people _and_ things that you loved in it. So, was this really my home?

**Paul POV**

I shoved my hands into my pocket and avoided Jake's gaze as he came into the kitchen, Sam had come in only fifteen minutes earlier. But, the whole time I had been thinking about that picture of Rachel and now I kind of felt… Well, I felt guilty. Yep, that's right. Paul Wilson is actually guilty about something, I'm not happy about it but it is what it is. I wasn't actually _going _to do anything, I was just _thinking_ about getting her in bed. It's a really good thing that I don't have patrol with Jacob. Sam changed it after Jake got back. Him and Jake, me and Jared, Collin and Brady, Leah and Quil, (You can imagine Quil's joy) and Embry and Seth.

"Hey, guys." Jake said coming in and sitting down in the only open chair left. We all stared at him. "What?" He asked, looking slightly bemused. Only slightly, ever since Bella married the leech he hasn't been the same. It's like the life had been sucked out of him.

"How'd it go?" Quil probed. He rolled his eyes.

"We started World War lll." We all glared at him. "Fine, she yelled and told me she was really mad, Dad was probably worried sick, blah blah blah." Sam looked at him carefully for a moment.

"He was worried sick." He finally said. Jake's jaw tightened and his hands balled into fists. His face hardened and he ground his teeth together. That sent everyone looking the other way as he sent a glare around the room.

"You guys know I didn't do it for _fun_. It was something that I had to do." He growled. His eyes went black as he pushed up from the table and suddenly turned to me. "And Paul, if you try to get my sister in bed I will kill you. Dead, murdered, stabbed." He told me in a voice that would have sent shivers over anybody's spine. Except for a fellow werewolf's. My nostril's flared as I flew up from the table, knocking my chair under me.

"And WHY do you just assume that I'll get her in bed?" I snarled. He laughed, unaffected by my anger.

"Because you're Paul." He said each word slowly as if talking to a little kid. That's it! I flew across the room and gave him a punch in the gut. We heard Emily scream in frustration and a little fear as Jake gave me a good grind in the gut and I'm pretty sure I broke his nose in return. Suddenly, two people were pulling me back and Seth and Quil were pulling Jake back. We fought against them, trying to charge on another. I glanced behind me and saw Jared and Embry.

"Guys, let the fuck go of me!" I seethed. Sam's booming voice filled the room.

"Paul. Jacob. Stop, now!" He yelled in full alpha mode. We stopped struggling and glared at one another. I glanced over at Sam, he was looking like a full out werewolf, Emily was tucked beneath his arm and he had a protective stance so there wasn't a chance she would get hurt. Slowly, Embry, Quil, Seth, and Jared let go of us and went to sit where they had before. Jake sat down too. I looked around the room once before flying out the door. I barely managed to get my clothes off before I exploded. Collin and Brady weren't really all that surprised by my appearance, it happened on a regular basis.

_See, even you admit it. _

_Shut up Collin. I can give you a black eye within two seconds. _I growled before focusing on phasing back, I'm standing nude again and I quickly pull on my clothes. It's then that I realize I have no where to go, I can't go back to Sam and Emily's. Talk about awkward. And I certainly don't want to go home. To face my fucking Mom, and even worse, my Dad? Yeah right. Mmh, whatever. I sat down and arranged myself so I was leaning against the tree. Might as well get some rest, we all needed it.

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**Alright everybody! Please tell me what you think! I worked really hard on this so I hope it shows!!**

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**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	2. The Imprint That I Really Didn't Want

**Hey everyone!! Enjoy! (It starts in Paul's POV!) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related!**

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**Chapter Two – The Imprint That I _Really_ Didn't Want **

So, I'm walking on the beach, you know, just a regular day and stuff. My same worries and annoyances, everything is perfectly normal. And I see this girl, right? She has this hot ass, like a really, _really_ hot ass. She has this long, silky black hair and I can see her hips moving back and forth as she walks. I can't even help but whistle. I can imagine her rolling her eyes like they all do. I run to catch up with her. "Hey, baby! Wait up, I wanna talk to you. She stops and turns to the direction of the water.

"Fine. What?" She snaps. It's as if she is in a very unpleasant situation. I grin, hoping she'll turn around. I start with something basic, trying to sound like a normal dude.

"I'm Paul Wilson… And you are?" I prompt her. She sighs. "I'm Rachel Black." My mouth drops open. I KNEW it! "Damn girl, you _are_ hot-pretty." I quickly amended. She stiffens and starts to walk away again, not having looked at me yet. I grab her arm to stop her and a jolt of shock runs through me. I blink in surprise, that's never happened before. "Wait! I just meant that I've seen picture's of you in Jake's house before and you're sister look really pretty." Yeah, that's more like the first-impression-on-a-girl Paul I know! She turned half toward me.

"How do you know my brother?" She whispered, I just noticed how much her voice sounded like the whispers of the wind as it winds through trees and houses to carry away the leaves… Wait, what? Okay, where did all that come from? I shook my head. "We just hang out… La Push isn't that big anyway." She raised an eyebrow and turned to face me, but kept her eyes lowered so I could only see her eyelids… Her beautiful, beautiful eyelids! Her cheekbones were high, accenting her smaller mouth and larger nose. She had the most gorgeous nose… And her mouth, God, I wanted to kiss her again and again and never stop. Okay, now this was just weird. Why did I like her so much more then anyone else? Whatever. I shook my head to clear it.

"You have a beautiful nose." I blurted before I could help it. Her face pulled together in confusion. "Err, thanks, I guess." She said. Suddenly, she looked up, and my whole word changed forever. She was my everything. It was like the world's air supply had dwindled and she had a life's worth that I needed to love. She kept me hear, she was the blood that kept my heart pumping, the reason that I could breathe. I would do anything and everything to please her, and anything and everything to save her. And my life was ruined. I had imprinted on Rachel Black. It seemed as if I couldn't stop looking into her stunning brown eyes. She left me absolutely breathless.

"NO!" I said, shaking my head and backing away from her, moving my hands back and forth. She looked slightly hurt. "What? Was it something I did?" I stopped in my tracks at her expression. It stung me like nothing else had. I swallowed and shook my head.

"I know this will sound really lame, but its not you. It's me. It's just… I'm so, so sorry." I whispered before turning and sprinting into the forest.

**Rachel POV**

He looked panicked and horrified, shaking his head and whipping his hands back and forth. "I know this will sound really lame, but it's not you. It's me. It's just… I'm so, so sorry." He whispered, his voice came out thick, as though his worst nightmare had just came true. He looked at me, a certain blaze in his eyes, and tore away from me. I watch him as he sprints into the surrounding woods. I shake my head. "Okaaay, that was weird." I muttered, still not taking my eyes off of the spot of where he had disappeared. But, even weirder was the fact that I actually felt something towards him. And when he had had that expression on his face, I had wanted to comfort him.

I turned around and started to walk back home, I had had enough of La Push beach today. I sighed as I saw the dozen or so mountains lounging around in front of the house. I scowled at Jake at the way to the door. "I need to talk with you." I snapped at him. He groaned and his friends snickered as he followed me in. I swear I heard him mutter "Don't you dare listen in Quil." God, I must be hearing things. How could anyone hear through the door and into the house?

"Jake, you hang out with some creepy guys." I told him. He rolled his eyes. "What was your first clue?" I let out a _hmph_. "I ran into this guy Paul-" Jake interrupted me, his eyes suddenly angry.

"He didn't… try anything, did he?" Jake asked and I shook my head quickly. "No, God Jake, are you kidding me? He was just weird. Like, we were talking, and I wasn't really making eye contact, then he told me I had a pretty nose, then I looked up, then it was like…" I struggled to find the words to express what my feelings had been. "It was like we were the only people on the beach… and that nothing mattered but us. After that, he went all berserk on me and said he was sorry, then ran away." I finished and tried to study his expression. It was blank, dead. But there was something in his eyes that was… I don't even know what.

"Rachel, I don't know what the hell he was doing. We have to leave." And before I could say another word, he was out the door. Okay, yet another confusing thing to be worried/wierded out about.

**Paul POV**

I slumped against a tree, trying to get _her_ out of my mind. It was impossible; her eyes seemed to have a permanent place in my head. Her perfect, perfect nose and her long, _long_ arms and legs… I shuddered. But I could also imagine her with Emily's scars. The whole idea of Imprinting had always freaked me out; I didn't _want_ to find one special girl any time soon. But there was still that unimaginable pull towards her. I couldn't try to ignore the sharp pain as I ran away from her, the yearning to look at her face as I turned around. I also _needed_ to be with her. I needed to know she was safe, that she was still perfect. I needed to see her breathe and smile and laugh…

"Rachel…" I moaned, letting my head fall into my hands. I didn't phase, I just wanted to be alone. I knew that eventually they would find me and pry information from me, but I planned to stay in hiding for as long as possible. My whole body shook with the thought of leaving Rachel. She seemed too delicate to live without me… And not being able to see her would kill me, just the thought made me want to wretch.

Suddenly, I heard a loud h owl, like the kind that would be in a werewolf horror movie at a full moon. I groaned because I knew it was a call to get into wolf form. Whatever, I still wasn't going to phase. About five minutes later, I heard another howl and cringed. Just shut the fuck up!

I heard feet in the distance, well, more like paws. Damn, I knew they would follow my scent, oh well. I can't run now. Sam came into my line of sight, looking angry and slightly sympathetic. Jared and Jake followed, Jared in human form. I could see Jake was trying to be unfeeling and uncaring, a dead impression struggling to stay on his face.

"Paul, let's just get right to it, did you imprint on Rachel?" Jared asked quickly. I just stared at him. Sam growled a warning. "Paul, answer the question, did you imprint on Rachel?" Jared sighed when I still didn't say anything. "Do you really want me to test it?" Jared asked, uncrossing his arms and making them into fists at his side. "Fine then. Hey Sam, you know, Rachel's eyes are so weird. And her face is just-" He was caught off by none other then me. I let out a warning snarl.

"Don't say that about her! She's the most beautiful thing in the universe." Jake looked at the ground and the other guys groaned. I glared at Jared. He shrugged. "Dude, calm down, I didn't mean it. I had to say it to see if you had imprinted on her… And you did." He shook his head and motioned for me to phase. I sighed and finally gave in. As I went into another area, took off my clothes, and phased, voices started to come into my head, finally breaking threw when I was fully wolf. I sighed as their voices hit me like road blocks.

**Rachel POV**

I heard a howl and cringed. Great, just great. Now I had to worry about fucking _wolves_? I really, really hate this town. Just then, my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID and was shocked. Rebecca? She hadn't called me in months. My one year older sister had been the perfect one in the beginning, always having better grades, better boyfriends, better everything even though _I_ had skipped a grade. Well, that was until Kupona Lii visited his cousin in Forks. They fell in love, got married, moved back to Hawaii, didn't go to college and BOOM! I was the better sister.

"Err, hello?" I said uncertainly into the line. "Hey Hon! How are you doing? I heard you had to visit La Rainy! Ooh, baby I am so sorry!" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm doing okay, Becca. How's the guy?" She sighed. "He's as hunky as ever babe, _and_ he's teaching me how to surf." A side of my mouth twitched up.

"God Becca, you somehow manage to cheer me up. Yeah, it's been nothing but gray and green here." I sighed. I could imagine her sad smile.

"Ah, it must be rough. Hang in there. I was just calling in quick; the guy wants me to surf, like I said before." She said. I ground my teeth together. I should have known.

"Oh, well that's cool. I guess I'll talk to you later. Bye." I muttered not two seconds before she hung up. God, that's Rebecca. One minute, she's making you feel better, the next, she's making you feel worse. I heard a rustle in the woods to my right and my head whips around to look, I held my breath as I watch… one huge guy pushing another huge guy towards me. What the hell? I squinted and recognized them. The guy who was being pushed was Paul, and the guy pushing Paul is Sam. Paul wasn't looking at me.

"Paul! Move." Sam ordered. For some reason, I didn't like the way Sam talked to him, which was definitely strange. Grudgingly, he started to walk toward me, still not taking his eyes off the ground. Sam followed him. He stood in front of me and muttered a low, "Hi." I managed a tight smile back at him.

"Um, hi." I answered back in a clipped tone. Obviously he didn't want to see me. He didn't say anything for a long time. "I should go." He glared at Sam out of the corner of his eye.

"Why'd you even come then?" I demanded. He blinked in surprise. "Huh?" He asked. I rolled my eyes. "I mean, why did you come if you're gonna just say that your name is Paul, not look at me, and then leave." He seemed a little surprised by my bluntness. His head quickly snapped up as if he couldn't stand something anymore.

"I, uh…" He stuttered over an explanation. I rolled my eyes again and turned around to go inside.

"Whatever, just leave me alone." I said and stormed into the house, flipping him off.

**Paul POV**

So, I was definitely not making a good impression, which was good. I didn't want to have her like me. I didn't want to be in love with her… But how could I not love her? She was just so damned beautiful! I couldn't help but love every single part of her, even the part that is annoyed with me and flipped me off. Sam moaned beside me.

"Paul… You can't be on bad terms with your imprint. I don't get how you can even think that you don't _want_ to imprint…" Sam struggled with the words and I shook my head.

"No Sam, believe me, I want to wish this imprint never happened, but I can't. It's so… I don't even know what. I didn't want this to happen. But it did." I shook my head again. I was in some deep shit.

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**Hey everyone! Okay, I wrote this in ONE day! So some reviews would be great please! Thank you to: Ria M Write, Dying Cloud, Sina, .DeViLz SpAwN., taysxallsmiles, greenbeans214, and laurazuleta18!! They are the first reviewers and it would absolutely rock if you could review again!!**

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**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	3. I Still Have the Ablity to Kick Your Ass

**Hey everyone! So hope you luv the chapter! Thank you a million times for the reviews, you guys rock!!! Alright, please check out the poll on my profile and vote!! Here ya go! (It starts out it Paul's POV)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related. **

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**Chapter Three – I Still Have the Ability to Kick Your Ass **

Okay, I was seriously irritated. They wouldn't stop freaking nagging me about it. I mean, who cares if she doesn't flipping like me? Okay, yeah, I did care. But I _tried_ not to, it was exceptionally hard. And as much as I attempted, I couldn't look at other girls without thinking something like 'wow, her legs aren't as long and beautiful as Rachel's' or 'God, her eyes are definitely not as clear as Rachel's' or something like that, and let me tell ya, it was a hell of a lot annoying.

"So, what's on your mind?" Embry taunted. I turned my glare on him. A grin stretched across his face. "Hm, could it be… Raisons? Ooh; or what about that girl that you fucked about two weeks ago… Oh wait a minute; you have a new love interest, don't you?" He jeered. My eyes narrowed.

"Shut up, Embry, I still have the ability to _kick_ _your_ _ass_!" I growled, still glaring. His grin just grew even more. "Okay, whatever you say Paul… who is in love with Rachel and will never have sex with another woman in his life without feeling really guilty because you are in LOVE with Rachel." I stood up, knocking my chair over.

"THAT'S IT!" I yelled and dove for him, he laughed and jumped out of the way just as Jared came in, he had an amused look on his face. "Guys, calm down, Sam'll kill you if you break the couch." I ground my teeth together.

"Yeah, well, tell Embry to shut his freaking mouth." I growled again and collapsed into the old recliner I had been sitting in. Jared, with an annoyed expression, joined Embry on the couch. "Dude, I don't know why you're so regretful about this. Imprinting is… is the best thing ever." Jared's voice and face changed to that familiar look of seeing the sun for the first time. Ugh, ugh, ugh!

"Yeah, well, she doesn't want it either, so…" I muttered. Jared looked at me, slightly puzzled but slightly understanding, but Embry looked plain out confused. "How would you know if you haven't told her anything?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I just know. I can't totally predict her reaction, but it seems as if I can already get a pretty good idea of what she's gonna do. It's kind of an imprint thing…" I trailed off when I realized what I was saying. "Dammit!" I winced. I crossed my arms and glared at Embry again.

"I didn't say anything this time!" He protested. I kept my glare going strong. "I know, but it's _your_ fault, I wouldn't have said anything if you hadn't of opened your mouth _before_." I growled and leaned back. Right about now would be a good time for the world to end because I was damn sick of it… waiting for it… waiting for it… and… nothing.

**Rachel POV**

Dad's eyes seemed to follow me as we ate, and Jake's kept flickering to me. I have to tell ya, it made me feel quite uneasy. I slapped my fork to the table. "Okay, do I have something hanging out of my nose, because you guys are seriously freaking me out!" I complained, though I was pretty sure I didn't have anything hanging out of my nose. Dad sat up a little straighter in his chair.

"Rachel, I was just wondering… how do you feel about Jacob's friends?" He asked carefully. The question caught me off guard. What the hell? How was that any of his concern, anyways? I squirmed under his steady gaze. "Umm, I think maybe… I don't know!" I said uncomfortably. He looked slowly at his food, his eyes lying on Jacob for a brief moment. Jacob let out a groan before turning to me.

"Alright, I'll just come out and freaking say it. I. Am. A. Werewolf. The legends are all true, I'm serious Rachel. All the guys are also werewolves… I am honest to God telling you the truth." He sat back in his seat as my eyes widened. I pursed my lips.

"Okay, ha-ha. Very funny, now just shut it and eat." I said, though my voice was bored and annoyed. Dad and Jake both sighed.

"Rach-ach, I'm telling you the truth. I'm a werewolf, as is about ninety percent of the La Push population." I couldn't help but roll my eyes, me, Becca, and Jake always joked about how little La Push was. But, my body stiffened and my face hardened. He must have been telling the truth because he used the _nickname_.

"Why– oh–you-why? God you are just – how can you even – You little fuck!" I ended, not caring that I was swearing in front of Dad.

"Did you really just say that? Because I swear you just FUCKING said that you are a FUCKING were-FUCKING-wolf! But I know you couldn't have said FUCKING that because that would've made you a FUCKING liar!" I screamed, bolting up. I moved quickly so I was standing next to Dad. How in the hell could he be so calm about this? He was telling me turned into a furry, half human dog _thing_ and was _okay_ with it? That freaking man-whore!

I was so overwhelmed with fury I hardly comprehended when my hands found the underneath of the table, or when I pushed it up so it was flying towards Jacob. Hell, red was blocking so much of my vision and ability to hear that I could hardly understand when Jake cried out and Dad called my name.

I stomped up to my room and slammed the door, sinking onto my bed and pounding the pillows as freaking hard as I freaking could. Werewolf? Ha! Yeah right, there was no freaking way…. Just then I glanced out the window. I saw Jake looking around, as though to make sure nobody was around, and then undress. My face twisted in disgust. I slapped a hand over my eyes and waited a few seconds. When I thought it was safe I uncovered it in enough time to see Jake burst into a huge, furry wolf. Oh. Shit. He is a werewolf.

**Paul POV**

Jake. That flipping loser, way the FUCK did he just blurt it out and tell her? What kind of idiot move was that all about? Don't people usually get to know and trust their imprint before gaining the knowledge of their wolfiness? It was a good thing I was already a wolf because if not I _so _would have exploded. Now she was probably a mess in her room, all upset and feeling horrible… God, I gotta kill Jake. I lunged towards him but Sam stopped me with a heavy order.

_Wait a minute, Paul. I think that you should give her some space, and then talk to her about it some more. _Jacob groaned.

_Sam, why do __**I**__ have to do it? Can't Paul? He was the one who freaking imprinted on her in the first place. _Jake grumbled and I growled. _Well, you were the one who freaking told her! _I shot back and he growled at me in return.

_Guys stop, I'm thinking… _Sam trailed off, and he was. _Okay, Jake was the one who BLURTED out the secret, but then again, Paul was the one who imprinted on her. But if we sent Paul, she might be curious as to why we sent him, of all people, and she isn't ready for the whole imprinting secret just yet. _He paused, as though still deciding. _Okay, the logical choice is to send Jacob. _

_YES!! _I did a little happy dance in my head. _BUT… _I groaned as Jake cracked a grin. _BUT… Paul, I think it would be best if you did it some time tomorrow morning. _I let my head drop between my paws. Shit, how would I do this? How could I face that beautiful woman when I knew that she didn't want me, that she didn't want me or anyone near this town at all? Jake and Sam couldn't help but roll their eyes, apparently.

_You idiot, take if from someone whose had an imprint for a long time, they might not want you at first, but they sure will later. _Sam said in a 'wise' voice. This time _I_ couldn't help but roll my eyes. I quickly phased and pulled on my shorts, having not grabbed a shirt. But seriously, how _would_ I do this?

**Rachel POV**

I rolled over and groaned in my bed as I heard gruff knocking on the door. "Rachel Sarah Maria Black! Get the frick out here!" Jacob's loud voice bellowed from outside my room. I shot up seething. The middle name? How dare he use the middle name! All of us hated our middle names! Becca had Rebecca Sarah Madison Black, and Jake had… "I'll be right out, Jacob Billy Neptune Black!" See, when mom's water broke when she was pregnant with Jake, she was naming the planets, and the second Neptune started to come out of her mouth, BOOM! I should know since I was there. There was silence outside of the door as I beamed. "Just get the fuck out of your freaking room and come downstairs. Dad wants you." He yelled, though I could sense the anger in his voice. Well, ha mister! That's what you get! Suddenly, last night came back to me in a horrible twist and I fell back on the bed, almost cowering under the covers.

"K-kay…" I whispered; a little fear in my voice. I heard his footsteps down the stairs and I threw the covers up and jumped out of the bed. "Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" I muttered, pacing back and forth, back and forth. "Okay, so my brother, Sam, and pretty much all the guys, plus a few girls, I saw yesterday. Ha-ha, well that's just wonderful. OH MY GOD THEY PROBABKY EAT PEOPLE! And holy shit, what if-" I swallowed, trying to get the thought out of my head. I had heard the legends in great detail, and I knew the Third Wife was a… was an _imprint_. What if one of them had imprinted on some poor girl?

But I knew I was being silly. Like I said, I knew the legends _really_ well and I also knew that the so-called 'wolves' were protectors, and I knew they weren't eating people. But still, my brother was a freaking DOG! I mean, come freaking ON! Suddenly, my pocket buzzed and I flipped open to find a new text.

**Hey Rachel how r u? herd you had to go home sorry 4 u! **

I smiled as I saw it was from Jon. Jon was the possible 'beau' I had talked to dad about earlier and we were both head over heels for each other, though were shy to admit it. Hell, we'd even made out, but we liked to keep it quiet. I quickly replied;

**Hey Jonny, ya im here. it sucks. Wish u could be here to cheer m up :) **

I stuck my phone back in my pocket and took a deep breath. Blinking, I changed into some jeans with a plain, gray tee. I did _not_ feel like dressing up in anything today. As I went down the stairs, I heard the shout of my brother.

**Paul POV**

It felt like I hadn't seen her in _so_ long, though it had only been a day. I tried my very hardest to ignore the burning feeling in my chest, but that burning represented Rachel, and I could never ignore Rachel. Jacob's grumbling as he came down the stairs interrupted my inner tyrant. "Okay, better get ready for the Rachel attack, because she's gonna be pissed when she sees Dad nowhere and little old _you_sitting here as if you owned the friggen place." He threw at me as my eyes narrowed.

"Oh shut the hell up, you're just jealous because I have a girl that will love me _no matter_ _what_." Oh fuck. Did I really just say that? Did I really just rub the whole 'Bella' ordeal in his face? His body grew rigid.

"Did you honestly say that? You freaking fuck." He spun on his heel. "BECAUSE I THINK YOU DID! FIRST, YOU FREAKING _IMPRINT_ON MY FREAKING SISTER, NOW, YOU RUB THE BELLA GETTING MARRIED TO A LEECH FACT IN MY FRICKING FACE?" He yelled, his whole body shaking like mad. Suddenly, we heard the strangled cry of someone and our heads snapped up to see Rachel, looking like someone had just told her that her dog died. Oh shit. She just heard that I imprinted on her… Well, this is just fan-freaking-tastic.

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**Okay, first of all, I must say, I am SO SORRY! God, I have been horrible about updating lately for everything, haven't I? Well, I think you guys would prefer a really good chapter that took a while to write, than a horrible, very quick chapter that took a day or two! So again, sorry!**

**Now, I must mention Swimming cutie xoxo!! She is amazing, she writes these stories that'll blow you away, (I mean it, they're like, as good as Twilight itself!) and then she writes these awesome, wonderful reviews! SO everyone needs to go check her out cause she's seriously brilliant!**

**And lastly, recently I have; created a website, made a twitter account, and made a Pressfiction account or whatever!! On my profile there is a link to my site, and that has links to my other stuff!! If you become a member to my site I'll have some kind of thing to reward you for it, and ya… SO please check it out!!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	4. You Got Some Beer to Spare?

**Chapter Four – You Got Some Beer to Spare? **

**Rachel POV**

What. The. Hell? Okay, this is _so not_ _happening. _I mean, imprinting? He could not have imprinted! He is way too hot for me! And he's like, what? Two years younger! No one wants to date a younger guy… Okay, so I knew a bunch of people that did, but who cares? I mean, come on! Would Paul Walker really ever have the hots for me? "Rachel…" Paul stepped forward, making a face. He had a hand slightly reached out towards, as if he wanted to, but knew he shouldn't.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FUCKING STALKER!" I screamed. Wow, I'm smooth. He stepped back, looking hurt, and I pretended like it didn't bother me. "Okay, let me get something strait. I am, supposedly, going to immediately fall in love with you, magically move to La Push and shove away all my other worries and problems and accomplishments so I can make my '_soul mate_' happy?" He didn't say anything, just looked at me. I took a deep breath before continuing.

"Well, mister! I've got a couple things to say to you! I have a BOYFRIEND! And we are DEEP in love! We are so deep in love that we would travel to the bottom of the ocean, and that wouldn't be how deep our love is!" He flinched back from my words, even though they didn't make all that sense. "AND ANOTHER THING! Don't even try to make a move on me, because IT WON'T WORK! I WILL _NOT_ GIVE INTO _EVIL_!" I had no idea where that last part came from, but it kind of worked.

I heard Jake cracking up from behind us. "What's so funny?" I spat. He was still laughing his ass off. "You guys – are the worst – soul mates- ever!" He doubled over Paul hissed. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and turned back to Paul, my anger boiling again. "So, don't think you can go prancing around telling everyone I'm your girl! Cause I'm not! So… THERE!" I yelled. He blinked a few time before saying unemotionally, "Whatever makes you happy." Okay, not what I was expecting. Not what I was hoping for either.

"Wait a second! You are so totally not supposed to say that! You are supposed to say that I am an ugly whore, and then say that you don't want to be imprinted on me anymore! Then you will magically sprout fur and become a wolf, following by your creepy denouncing of our stupid bond!" I fumed. Now Jake was barely keeping himself on the couch from laughing so hard. I spun around.

"Will you stop _laughing_?" I hissed, putting my hands on my hips. Jake shook his head. "There is not a lot of joy in my life, woman, and if this is it, then I'm gonna milk it!" He grinned. I moaned and turned back to Paul.

"Rachel… I wish I could, if that was what you wanted, I'm not- No, I can't lie to you. Rachel, I'm really sorry." My anger was still just emerging.

"YOU'RE SORRY? DID YOU JUST THAT 'YOU'RE SORRY'. I cannot believe that you told me you're sorry when this is ALL YOUR FAULT!" I screamed. "I have a possible job in Washington, and I have a guy I'm crazy about, and I can't give it all away just because you imprinted on me! I can't- I can't take anymore. I'm going home." It looked like his face was carved out of stone as an uncomfortable silence fell across the room.

"Okay, it's my turn to say adios amigos, good luck with your suckish lives." Jake said, standing up, that stupid grin still planted on his face. I stuck my tongue out at him because at the moment I really wanted to be five, so all these problems could be whisked away.

I felt a warm hand grasp my arm lightly, barely grabbing, yet somehow leaving me immobile. Its touch sent jolts of electricity up my arm and through my body. I turned around because I had a strong feeling of which the hand belonged to. I hissed at Paul. "Let go of me, you dirty pig!" I yelled. He flinched but shook his head.

"No, Rachel. You can't run away from this. Some people think they can just leave, and then everything will be okay! Well that's not the case! The thing is, if you leave, things might just get worse!"My fingers curled. But, that wasn't the point of that little speech. The point was to make him angry with me, then make my escape!

"No, that is not what you're supposed to say! You're supposed to say that I'm a whore, and then you're supposed to leave whilst calling over your shoulder that you never want to see me again!" He didn't say anything. It felt as though his eyes were boring into me, making me nervous and sweaty. Oh yeah, ain't that attractive.

"Rachel, your dad will be very disappointed if you leave. Not to mention hurt. You have to think of everyone involved. And… you're not selfish Rachel. Please, don't do this." I flung myself away from him and this time he relented his grip.

"YOU don't know what I am! HOW would YOU know I'm not selfish? Just leave me alone. I'm going to be here for another week and a half, and I want that to be as enjoyable as possible. So back off.: I snapped before tearing out the door.

**Paul POV**

I watched her go with sad eyes. Didn't she know I wanted to take this back; it was what was best for her, and for me. At the moment, I wanted her to be happy, and I couldn't ever deny the feeling inside of me when I was looking at her, making sure she was safe. Another thing I couldn't deny was how _much_ her words hurt me, physically _and_ emotionally.

I hated hearing those things from her, as much as I wanted to not want her wanting me; it happened… if that makes sense. I was still frozen in place, watching her still sprinting form run towards the beach. Even from here, she was so, _so_ beautiful. I could still make out the swishing of her hair and she moved, and the way her hips bobbed back and forth… I could imagine the front of her perfectly too.

The way her lips parted when she was confused, the way her eyebrows stretched out and how she ever so slightly bared her teeth. I hadn't seen her just plain happy a lot of times, but from the first time, I had it memorized perfectly…

The way her lips would part, and stretch across her face, her teeth shining brightly… They were so white, so clean and perfect. And her eyes… Her eyes would shine as bright as the sun.

Ask me anything about her, and I would make a guess, because I knew my girl… Yet, I didn't know her, but oh how I wanted to!

The only thing was, she didn't want me.

Yeah, I should have to be the one stuck with the difficult imprint. Just my luck.

**Rachel POV**

Okay, com' on Rachel, don't be such a chicken! I wrung my hands before taking a deep breath, but still, I didn't move. I wanted to show him that this whole imprinting shit did NOT control my life! It didn't, and I could prove it… but, I was being such a coward. I mean, I've done it before… once, when I was drunk. But that still counts! I mean, just approach the guy and say some stuff… you're an older and attractive woman. Okay, now I sound like a forty year old going to therapy after her husband's brutal divorce, trying to get back on her feet…

I shivered… what if they turned out to be faithful, or really stricken with the idea… But, these guys looked ugly and desperate. Ugh, I cannot believe I'm gonna do this. Slowly, I walked over to the group of men.

**+-+-+**

After reaching the beach, I had walked a long time, eventually coming off the beach and onto the street. I had walked more and more until finally, I came to a different neighborhood, with different houses and different people. It looked run down, and I was surprised that I could find somewhere like this in Forks. Pretty soon, I came across a group of guys. They didn't look particularly dangerous, but you never know. And then, another thought crossed my mind.

But was I brave enough to go through with it? Yes, I was. Casually, I walked over to the group, a smile plaster across my face. I made sure to have my shirt hitched up and my pants hitched down. My jacket had been discarded long ago after getting hot from running.

I made sure to sway my hips as I walked by, and then I got just what I was hoping for. "Heeey baby, wat're ya doin out here, a pretty face like that…" Someone slurred. I nodded slightly so they couldn't see; at least one of them wasn't a _total_ bastard. I turned around, trying to give a sexy, seductive smile. It worked.

I noticed the man that had called me had dark hair, and he was pretty handsome, if not for the bags under his eyes and the obvious drunken nature. "Wat's up purty lady? Watch you doin tonight, wanna get it on with me?" He slurred. Wow, I was surprised he wasn't passed out. The more he talked, the more he sounded like an idiot. I gave him my best sleazy smile.

"Depends… you got some beer to spare?" He barked out a laugh and tossed me a can. His eyes followed me closely as I wavered over, still standing slightly on the edge of the circle of guys. I didn't listen to any cat-calls they were throwing my way, or any flirting that was trying to shift into a conversation. I just focused on the alcohol as it slid down my throat, taking a second and then a third. It felt so good, as my problems slid away, and everything became a bit fuzzy, but not fuzzy enough.

I asked for a fourth, and then finally a fifth before things almost completely blacked out.

**+-+-+**

I woke up, my mind fuzzy and feeling like crap. "Ugh…" I groaned. I started to open my eyes, and was relieved when only darkness greeted me. I blinked. Where am I? I asked myself, sitting up. I gasped when my head spun, and my stomach lurched. It felt like someone was banging my head with a hammer. "Oh my god, hangover!" I gasped as a little bit of last night came back to me.

Did I honestly do that? Oh my god… I DID! I can't remember if I did, but I'm pretty sure I did. I moved to get out of the bed, but that just made my head spin and my stomach lurch even harder. I looked around, and noticed I was in some kind of hotel room. I sprinted towards what looked like the bathroom, bent forward, and barfed my guts out.

When I was finished I quickly washed my hands and took a look in the mirror, taking myself in. I looked like shit, like, really bad shit. My eyes looked sunken in and had lines under them, the rest of me… OH MY FREAKEN MUFFIN! I'm naked!

**Ha-ha, next chapter is going to have some drama!!! Hope you all liked it!**

**I am looking for a beta!**

**Now, I must give a COLOSSAL thank you to none other then Swimming cutie xoxo! She rocks so much because 1) she gives the best damned reviews in the history of forever! 2) She writes the greatest stories in the history of forever! You have to check her out!**

**Some of my other stories have been nominated for a Red Moon award! Ahh, go nominate someone! The link to the site is on my profile!**

**And I only got like, three reviews last time! Please review! It would mean so much to know that people like it, or if people don't like it I could maybe work something out! Please, just review!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21 **


	5. Dick Baddela

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related!**

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Chapter five – Dick Baddela

"OH MY FREAKING SHIT!" I screamed. I couldn't help it… I mean, I was in an unknown hotel, naked, at… I glanced at the clock… five in the morning!Suddenly, there was a thump from the other room and I froze. Someone else was here? Was it… Oh crap, was it that guy from last night? Well, it must have been, or someone else you had a credit card, because this was clearly a hotel, and I sure as hell wasn't paying for it.

I looked around and grabbed a towel, hitching it around my body so that whoever was in the other room wouldn't see more than they already had. I held it tight around me before walking out the door.

I tried to get some form of a memeory of what happened last night, but came up with nothing.

I groaned as a pang of pain shot through my head. Just trying to reconcile what happened had me reeling. I suddenly wanted to curl up and sleep, sleep forever and forever.

I fumbled through the darkness and found the bed, collapsing onto the hard mattress, wishing to be home… Home in Washington D.C. where Jon was and where Mattie and Coleen were, where I could work and make a happy life.

And then, I guess my body got over the shock of waking up in an unknown place and broke down into full-100%-drunk mode. Moving just an inch felt like I had fifty pound weights attached to my body. I groaned as result from theunpleasent feeling.

My first hangover had happened when I was seventeen (I know, I know, lame, but I was a nerd back then) and it had been horrible, but nothing compared to this. I didn't even know how many beers I had last night… I stopped counting really, after that one… I squinted and groaned again at the pain of trying to remember.

Suddenly, it came back to me, and I screamed, "PAUL!" Except it came out sounding more like, "Pou-ul," in a croaky voice at a less then regular volume. Why, you may ask? Because of course, the stupid hangover, and the fact that the back of my throat tasted like sludge, and was scratchy as hell. When I spoke it felt like a loud ringing in my ears, as though someone had put in earphones and turned it up to full volume.

Ugh, you'd think I'd be used to hangovers by now.

"Oof," came a voice I didn't recognize. I managed to lean over the side of the queen sized bed slightly to look at him. He seemed almost as bad as me. But one thing caught me, and that was that he looked almost similar to someone I had seen before…

He was the guy from last night… somehow I just knew it. He looked tired, and happhazzard, and before I got so drunk, I could make out someone that looked like that…

"Hey baby…" he grinned and I ripped backwards, which killed my head, by the way, and pressed myself into the mattress, my heart was thumping crazily and my head was spinning more than it had before.

"Ooh," I moaned. I could see his form lean up, stiff and slow. He leaned on the bed and climbed in beside me. I knew I should have moved, but I didn't. It was in a way, relaxing, to lay beside him. Our breathing was heavy and wieghted, our bodies sore and our heads pounding.

He didn't actually do anything though, he just laid there, not moving an inch. Finally, I knew I would have to try to figure some things out. How did I get here? Where exactly is 'here' anyway?

By squinting, I could see the morning sun was just peeking up, not even a bother to my eyes since it was just enough light to see the outline of the room.

You could tell it was a hotel by the T.V. on a a stand, the table next to it, and the two chairs positioned beside it. There was only one bed and we were in it. It was a small room, with the curtains slightly open and the air conditioner blowing cool air onto us.

I could hear a heavy rain outside, pattering against the roof and making me shiver. I closed my eyes, wishing it all away. _I wish Paul wouldn't have imprinted…_ _I wish Jake hadn't of fucking run away, so dad wouldn't have guilted me into coming here… I wish Jon would be my official boyfriend already, so I could have a valid reason for not wanting to be with him… I wish mom would be alive. She would fix everything… I wish mom was alive… I wish momand dad weren't able to find a abaysitter Friday night, and have to settle for Saturday… I wish that they hadn't of climbed into that car, and set out for Port Angeles, and I really wish the guy in that other car had the better sense not to drive and drink… I wish dad hadn't been put into his wheelchair… I wish it could all go away, and stay away._

I didn't realize I was crying, or that my shoulders were shaking, until the guy turned so our faces were close and said, "What's wrong?" as though he actually cared. I wipped away my tears quickley, wincing.

"Uh… just… it's my mom and… my dad," I whispered, though I had no idea on why exactly I confided in him, it just blurted out.

"What about them?" he breathed into my ear. Slowly, I edged away from him. "Well… It was a long time ago… But she died. In a car crash… My dad was in the car too and he… Well, he can't walk anymore." I rolled over to look at the wall.

"Why are you still crying about it, if it was so long ago?" he asked. My breath caught in shock.

"Because I _love_ her, that's why!" I exclaimed furiously. He sighed.

"Not what I meant… I meant, why are you crying at this moment? In fact, why are you thinking about her at this moment? This isn't exactly a mourning spot…" He muttered.

I gornaed. "Just shut up," I hissed. He slapped his mouth shut and we sat in silence again, but unfortuatley for only a few minutes.

"What's your name anyway?" he asked suspicously. I rolled my eyes, I couldn't help it.

"I'm Rachel… Rachel Black, but don't get any ideas about stalking me, because then I will kick your frigging ass." I added as an afterthought.

Beside me, he chuckled, yeah, he actually huckled, as if we were best buddies. "I'm not the stalking type… Last night was my first one-night-stand-drunk night. And I'm Dick Baddela, but you can call me DBa. Not Dee with a D and two E's, but just plain D." He said firmly. **(Sounds like D- ba)**

"What's with the name dude?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Well, I will not reveal my middle name, but you wants to be named after a penis? So then, I shortened it to Dee, with two E's. Then, I found out there were two girls in y grade named Dee, so then I added on a part of my last name, so now I'm called DBa." He finished, but in a tone that said, if you call me anything different, I'll break your neck in two.

I laughed. "Listen buddy, if you think you intimidate me, you got another thing coming." I could feel him shift lightly beside me.

"Ugh, just shut up a little, will you? My head is killing me… Then again, judging by last night, you got it ten times worse then me. I smiled a bit, then wiped it off my face. I wasn't supposed to like this guy, not even a little.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure how many beers you had last night, but it was enough to get you to…" he stopped as if somebody had zapped his tongue.

"It was enough for me to _what_, BDa?" I asked him fiercly, still looking at the ceiling. I pursed my lips as I waited for his answer.

"Rachel, for the record, it wasn't like I forced you… It was a mutual thing… And then, it was like you were trying to prove a point, and then you started getting really, really, rough…"

"It was enough for me to do _what_, Paul?" Oh. My. God. Did I just say Paul? My breathing hitched. I shot up, ignoring the slice of dizziness that shot through me, but not being able to ignore the river of vomit that was flowing up my throat.

It was a mess of puke, spread across the floor, and it was just too much.

I threw up again, it made my head feel lighter, my body feel good… After the third time, I stopped. I wped my mouth off shakily, and stood up, trying to mauever past the pool of barf now spreading across the ugly carpet.

"Just answer these two questions… And then I'll go, be out of your life forever. Okay?" I whispered, my voice careful and cold. I could feel his breath draw in, and then came a quiet, "Okay,"

"Alright, the questions are, one; how did we get here, and two; how did _you_ pay for it?" there was an abrupt answer.

"The place where we started drinking was across the street, and… well… you'll see when you leave how I'm paying for it," he paused, "Oh, and by the way, I work the night shift." I didn't want to question what the end comment was all about, and by this point I didn't care.

I stood up stiffly, my head spinnig. I looked around the room for my clothes, which was slightly easier now that it was after seven thirty, even though the curtains were still mainly closed. I grabbed them quickley and slipped them on.

I spread the towel out over the puke before hading to the bathroom. I groaned as I turned on the light, utterly too bright. Quickley I flashed it off, leaving the door all the way open so as to let the dulled light in.

I frowned at myself in the mirror. I had had to throw away my underwear because they were soiled, but my bra was good. My shirt and pants were fine too, of course.

I spalshed water on my face and used one of those plastic toothbrushes to brush my teeth, only I didn't use toothpaste because a) it would probably make me throw up yet again, and b) there was none.

I didn't get that. Here's a toothbrush, but oh, we won't get any toothpaste, so I guess it's useless. What the hell is the point of that? Well I think it's retarded.

I splashed water on my face, rubbing off all of my blurred make-up, and refreshing myself a bit. I ran m fingers threw my hair, trying to tame the wild mess. Slowly, I stepped out, wishing that I had my jacket so I could pull the hood up to cover my face, or try to banish the freezing air that would surely greet me when I stepped outside.

The lobby was nice, but utterly indifferent from others. It had a front desk, positioned paraellel to the glass double doors. There were two couches set in front of a dead fireplace, it looked like it hadn't been lighted in years.

There were chairs littering the room, making it look over-decorated and trying too hard to impress. There was a large glass window, indicating that they wanted to reel in as many customers as possible.

There were only two incredibly horrible things about this lobby though. The noise, and the light.

All the talking, the squeaking of doors, the clack of shoes and the _ding _of a bell as someone wanted to get the front desk's attention. It all seemed magnifyed a thousand times, and then have madniphones strapped around the sound waves, sending them directly to my ears, which seemed extra sensitive, and all that resulted in my head buzzing, as though someone had hit it repeatedly with a hammer.

And then, the light… Because of the window, sunlight streamed in, drenching the room in brightness. My eyes snapped shut almost immediatley upon entering, only able to get a good glimpse of the room.

I walked to the desk to find a crisp, clean-cut man with a grim expression on his face. "Um, sir… do you have a giftshop?" I asked in a hoarse voice. He smiled at me, pulling his lips over his teeth, so in the end it looked much more like a grimace.

"Yes ma'am, it's right over there," he pointed to the right, his fingers rigid. '_What's with this pyscho?_' I asked myself. I glanced at this nametag, which stated, _'Richie Baddela, proud father of this fine establishment_,'

"Thank's Richard," I said, forcing a smile. Baddela? Maybe DBa was his brother? Or his son? I shook my head to clear it. Why did I even care?

As I came near the giftshop, I saw what must have been the company emblem or something. There was a lion with a sword thrust throught the middle of it, (how charming) and it said 'DBa Hotel & Suites, Proudly run by our own DBa!' My eyes almost popped out of my head, and yet again I had to shake it to clear it.

I quickley entered the store and paid for a pair of sunglasses, along with a sweatshirt. I didn't even bother to tear off the tags, I just stuffed on the glasses and sighed in relief when everything darkened. I slipped on the sweatshirt, pulling the hood up so the sound around me was muted slightly.

I stuck my hands in my pockets and found my wallet, hopefully there was enough change for a payphone, I had left my cell at home.

But, before I could step outside, I ran into a wall. Or so I thought it was a wall, becaause when I looked up, I met a pair of eyes, that, somehow, were the only thing I was absolutley sure of.

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**Oh my God!!! You guys can't even understand how incredibly sorry I am! I can't even express it.... I just got so caught up in my other stories, and there is a lot going on right now, so I'm REALLY sorry! At the moment, I can't promise an update soon, but I will try my hardest!**

**Okay, no I must say thank you to someone who goes by the name of Swimming cutie xoxo! She writes the most amazing stories, (GO CHECK THEM OUT!) she reviews everything I write and lets me know that I do have hope of becoming a bestseller,(THANKS A HELL OF A LOT!) and she also betas one of my new stories, Life Life, Love Imprinting! Please go check it out and leave a review....**

**Speaking of leaving reviews... could you please leave one here too? Please????**

**Thank you SO much for reading! And thanks a bunch if you review!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	6. Paul's Epiphany

**Disclaimer: I hate disclaimers, so here's one for the rest of the story: I own none of the charecters, charecter developments, or back plot for this story! **

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**Chapter Six - Paul's Epiphany**

**Paul POV**

I was slumped over on my couch, when my phone rang. I was already feeling like crap, why couldn't they just leave me alone? "Hello?" I grumbled, my eyes closed.

"Paul? Hey, is Rachel with you?" I heard Jake's voice demand. He seemed to be trying to be serene, but was obviously angry. I groaned, wishing I had a different answer. "No," I huffed. There was silence on the other line, and then I totally comprehended his words, and part of the meaning behind them.

"Why? What happened? Is she alright?" I asked worriedly, my tone indicating that I was already having a panic attack.

"Calm down Paul, just be thankful she wasn't with you, 'cause then I would have to sprint down there and kick your sorry ass," Jake growled, but I could still hear a tinge of worry.

"Well how long has she been gone?" I asked, sitting up.

"Well… since she ran off last night during you guys' argument…" I hissed, jumping to my feet. She's been gone since LAST NIGHT?!? That was at seven… and now it's… I turned squinting at the clock for a moment before yelping.

"JAKE! It's been fifteen hours since she left! What if she got hurt? What if someone hit her with his car? OH MY GOD! What if she got raped?" I demanded, my voice becoming more and more panicky. My heart skipped a beat at just the idea of any of those possibilities. I mean… if she had gotten hurt… and I wasn't there to stop it…

My throat closed up. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. I had to find her. "Okay, I'm going to track her and make sure she's alright." I said my voice careful.

"Paul, you can't Rachel is an adult. She can take care of herself." Jake disagreed. I snorted, running my hand through my hair.

"Right, you were freaking out when I answered the phone,"

"Yeah, because I thought she spent the night with you, I have enough on my mind without having to worry about killing you," he defended. I rolled my eyes, trying not to snort again.

"Bye Jacob," I said hurriedly before slamming the phone onto the receiver. I ran through the doorway, managing to shut it behind me. My cell phone buzzed again, and I checked the caller ID; MOM. I groaned, knowing that if I didn't pick up, she would leave a long, rambling message about how now I was too busy to care about her… then again, if I did pick up, she would go on and on about how much she loves me, and how much more of a man I am then my dad.

I shrugged, turning the phone off. I didn't even really have to listen to the then, I slowed, concentrating on the flow of my feet, the pull of gravity, drawing me towards her.

I walked for a long time, dressed in just sweat pants and looking like I had just awakened from a fifty hour sleep with, deep circles under my eyes and all.

Why are there circles under my eyes? Well, because of everything else in my life, Rachel. After running off last night, I stood, rooted to my spot, for about two hours.

I could barely move, barely breathe. My imprint didn't want me… For some imprinters, they wish they could take it back, other's don't.

I think that Sam would want to take it back, mostly because he loved Leah, and with one look at Emily, that all evaporated. Emily would find someone who would never hurt her, her face would be beautiful, flawless. And Leah wouldn't be miserable.

He thought about these things not often, but once, Leah caught him. She was absolutley furious. She literally attacked him, her mind was just a jumble of curse words. She kept screaming things like 'Just leave it ALONE! Why'd you have to do this? You mother fucker!' in her mind. She didn't go anywhere near him for weeks.

Jared… He would never take it back. He loves Kim more than anything, and their imprint was so easy. She had been in 'love' with him since third grade, and he had just started to stalk her. She didn't talk to him for about a day after finding out the truth of why he had a sudden interest in her, and then it was easy sailing.

Quil and Claire. Claire is two. I mean, Sam pretty much threatened to kill him, and it took a lot of convincing from everyone for Emily to understand that Quil isn't a pedophile, but he wouldn't take it back either… which a lot of people find strange. He's stuck changing diapers, and helping her with homework for about sixteen years.

I was thinking about all this as I closed my eyes, not paying attention to where I was going, just following my, as cheesy as it sounds, heart.

And then I thought… would I take it back? I thought about those things more closely… Kim is happy to be with Jared; Claire loves hanging out with Quil more than anything. Emily loves Sam, but has to live with the guilt of hurting Leah, so she does not entirely love the imprint.

And Rachel… she hates it already, and she doesn't have to live with guilt of me being in love with another girl, I'm just holding her back. I can tell she wants to leave… I can tell she hates it here. If she fell in love with me, she would feel obliged to stay, to stop her dreams in her tracks.

I realize now that no matter how much pain, how much torture, I'll have to go through, it will pay off if she's happy. Even if it's somewhere in another state with… another man. I shuddered at the thought.

I hated knowing that I couldn't make her happy.

And with that thought in my head, I stopped. I stood there, still silently debating whether or not to go on. It went against my very nature to stop actually, because there were three things you were supposed to feel towards your imprint, no matter what; love, obsession, and protection. And I loved, I was, no doubt, obsessed with her… but if I didn't find her, what if she was hurt?

If I continued to stay here, I wouldn't be protecting her. But there was one thing more important then protecting and that was making her happy… If I found her, she definitely wouldn't be too pleased.

I groaned in frustration and glanced around, shocked at what I saw. I was in a part of Forks most people stayed clear of. If you were a drugee or something like that, then this was the place to get whatever you're addicted to…

My stomach dropped, and my heart thudded once, unbelieving. 'No, please, please don't let her be taking drugs of any form…' I thought. I was still frozen in place when I noticed a small hotel directly to the left of me.

It read 'DBa Inn & Suites' or something like that. It looked kind of crappy, but more like the neighborhood was trying to fix its record or something like that.

But I was more focused on the girl dressed in a sweatshirt, sunglasses, and jeans coming out of the door. Her scent hit me with the force of a bulldozer, my breath becoming uneven as immense relief also crashed into me, making me knees wobble.

My heart released it's aching as she came nearer to me, eyes focused on her shoes. If shock and happiness and relief still hadn't been surging through me, I probably wouldn't have let her walk into my arms, but what can you do..?

"Oof!" I heard her gasp, quickly stepping back, her head snapped upwards, meeting my eyes. I heard her heart stutter, and also heard as she sucked in, her features momentarily stunned. I hid a smirk.

As though she knew I was trying to hide it, her facial expression turned to one of anger. "What in hell are you doing here Paul?" she hissed after a moment of awkwardness. I shifted my feet, trying to not meet her eyes.

"I was just… worried." I said, my eyes finally resting on her face. She sighed, raising an eyebrow.

"You were worried? Sure, sure. Of course, you came to find me because you were just worried." She snorted. A flash of anger surged through me.

"Yes, Rachel. I was worried. I still am!" I fumed, trying to suppress the shudders threatening to roll down my back. She stared at me blankly before dropping her gaze to her feet again.

"I need a ride..?" she whispered, her voice light. I softened immediately at her tone.

"Actually, I didn't bring a car… but uh, I could carry you…" she shot me a glare.

"You didn't drive? Well how the hell did you get here?" she demanded, raising an incredulous eyebrow. I sighed, looking at the spot above her head.

"JaketoldmethatyouhadbeengoneforsolongsoIstartedtofreakoutandfollowedmyinstinctshereIdidn'thavetimetogetmycar." I said so quickly, I wasn't exactly sure if she understood. But she nodded, that horrid blank look dominating her face once again.

"Well, isn't that wonderful. Guess we're walking." She muttered, her shoulders sagging.

I sighed, looking left and right. "Come on!" I whispered, tugging her into the nearby forest. I shivered, going only about ten feet in. I didn't want to risk her running into a bloodsucker.

"Paul! What the frick are you doing?" she demanded angrily as I knocked her feet out from under her, catching her just before she hit the ground. I brought her upwards towards my chest so as to make her more comfortable.

"Paul!" she hissed again, wriggling to get out of my death grip. I groaned.

"Just hold still Rachel, it'll be like five minutes!" I argued. She gave in, a frown on her lips.

"Fine. But you purposely did it." She said icily. I cocked an eyebrow in question.

"Did what on purpose?"

"For one, forgot your car so you could carry me. And two, you forgot your shirt, so I would be ridiculously attracted to you. And ya know what sucks? It worked." She said an irritated tone. My heart soared for about two seconds, "But don't get any ideas. I'm still not giving."

And it dropped right to my feet again.

The run back was silent, and actually took less then ten minutes. I gently set her on the ground outside of her house. "Uh… thanks?" she said, offering an awkward half-smile. I smiled back, widely and happily.

Her eyes traveled from my mouth to my chest, resting on my six-pack. When I caught her looking, she blushed furiously, turning on her heel.

I sighed in dismay, once again watching as my love ran away from me.

**-+-+-**

My feet dug into the ground as I pushed myself harder, willing myself to just go a bit faster. I tried to concentrate on running… running and sprinting and jogging and trotting. Any form of movement in a fast motion.

_Dude, I don't see what the big deal is! I mean, it always works out, doesn't it? Just act so guilty and sad, that she'll start to feel sympathy and cave!_ _That's what happened with Emily and Sam. _Embry thought, his head filled with disbelief at my 'stupidity'. I growled at that.

_No goddamn way. I will not do that to her! Besides, Sam really was guilty, that has after the accident!_ I argued back, in disbelief at _his_ stupidity.

_Whatever. She likes you, I can tell._ Embry said smugly. I did a mind-glare thing and tried to ignore him.

_She's just really stubborn. I mean, I've known Rachel since I've known Jake, and we've seen her with a lot of guys. It's not like she's unattractive._ I let a growl slip loose, trying even harder to ignore him. Fuck Sam! Why did he have to put me on patrols with such an annoying bastard?

_Hey! I am not a bastard… anyway, I remember once, she was getting all mad at this guy because he kept trying to… err, make out with her, and she wanted to, but she knew it might not be something other people might not like, since he wasn't exactly the nicest guy._

_And then there was this other guy, and he wanted to do the same thing, only he had this really good reputation, but everyone could tell she didn't really like him because at first, she would really push their_ _relationship to a good place._ He finished, smiling a bit at his oh-so-wonderful speech.I grunted.

_Since when are you Dr. Phil? Anyway, that makes absolutley no friggen sense._ I retorted, trying to push his thoughts/words out of my head.

Because, I mean, there's no real possibility that Rachel can like me… if even just a little bit? Right?

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**Wow guys... I'm kinda disapointed!! I only got two reviews for the last chapter!! Com' on! PLEASE review! Ya know ya want to...**

**Ok, now for my thank you's!! First off, my wonderful beta, Lorelei Eve!! She is absolutley amazing! I bow down to her! She pointed out some things that are really confusing, and just made this chapter about a million times better! Plus, she betad this in about three days, which is AWESOME!!!**

**Next, I must thank one Swimming cutie xoxo! She is an amazing friend, reviwer, reader, and she also betas another one of my stories!! She is incredible, so everyone clap for her!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**

**P.S. Go vote on the poll on my profile, and don't forget to check for updates! **


	7. Just This Girl

**Chapter Seven – Just This Girl**

Once upon a time there was a girl named Rachel. Rachel was once very, very happy and had a great sister named Rebecca, and an annoying but sweet little brother named Jacob. She also had two loving parents, Sarah and Billy.

She had a great life, no pain, no stress. She was blissfully unaware of the cruel world around her. And then came a guy, let's call him Mr. Asshole, that decided to head to a bar one night. He got really drunk, and was alone, so there was no one to stop him.

In his drunken state, he wasn't thinking straight, and decided it was time to head home.

Then, at the same time, the little girls parent's had just finished their night out and were also heading home. Mr. Asshole was all over the road, and got many flip-off's that night, but eventually he lost control completely, and crashed into Rachel's parent's car.

And then, the little girl was opened up to a whole new world. A world bursting with pain, and death.

Every night, she would lay awake, crying and thinking of her mother. Rachel could still smell her perfume, strawberry, still feel the way her mother's arms would fit perfectly around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. Her silky black hair, hanging low down her back, was a sign of reassurance for Rachel for her entire life... and then, it was gone.

And things pretty much went down hill from that.

The little girl grew older and turned into a slut. She was hurt, and the only comfort she could find was from guys... She knew that her mom would frown on it if she was still alive, but still she went on. Sometimes, the guys told her things that she knew weren't true, but she liked to trick herself for just a second, and believe they were.

She knew that she couldn't trust them, because then they might leave her too.

The girl's sister turned into a sarcastic show-off who eventually skipped out on college and married a Hawaiian tourist. Rebecca wanted to escape too, and her way was to try to avoid anything that reminded them of their mom, including her family.

And finally the girl's brother turned into the happy, favorite child who would probably donate a kidney to a complete stranger. He didn't know their mother very well, therefor the loss wasn't as heart shattering... But it was still something, and he was probably the only thing that got any of the girl's family functioning properly at the beginning...

But then the brother had some serious shit come into his life, turned into a giant dog, and abandoned his wheel-chair bound father… which resulted in Rachel coming to the home of her misery and have some random temperamental shape-shifter fall in love with her.

At finding this recent information, Rachel ran away for the night, got drunk, and fucked a stranger.

The end.

**-+-+-**

I sighed in relief as I slipped into the door, slamming it shut behind me. I was freaking out the whole time, because apparently, he was so overcome with 'relief' that he forgot that I was coming out of a random hotel room, where just about anything could have happened. Thank fricking god.

I rubbed my head, breathing deeply… I was still a little creeped out about the whole DBa thing, I mean, who wouldn't be?

But I was also seriously pissed. Why? Because I am a 'seriously pissed' kind of person.

"Rachel?" dad's voice called. Immediately, I straightened up, putting a smile on. It was something all of us kids did, whatever the situation.

We all knew dad was really strong, but we didn't want to make things harder for him, so we all put on a brave or calm face, and smiled through anything tough or painful.

"I'm here! Just had a night out… Saw some old friends…" He didn't buy, I knew he wouldn't.

"Rachel, just be careful," he sighed, eyeing me warily. I winced, but quickly put on an innocent face.

"Alright, daddy," I said, making my voice sound confused. He sighed, but didn't say anything; he just turned to face me, his face aged, his eyes weighed. I suppressed a groan.

How can he manage to make a person so guilty with one simple look? I need to learn how to do that…

I climbed the stairs slowly, being careful not to hit my head on the low ceiling. My bed was comforting, the soft yellow comforter familiar.

Our house is painfully small… Rebecca and I barely fit in Jake's current room, and then when mom got pregnant with him, everyone knew that three people could in no way fit in there. So, we had to remodel the attic and, since it was about triple the size of the small room, Rachel and I were made to move into it.

I groaned. What was I going to do about all this magic shit? I mean… the legends… real? How is that possible? But it is, and I saw it... And the very worst part, might you ask? I felt something back. Even now, he was blocking my vision, entering my idiotic thoughts…

But he was also a guy that needed to stay here. He couldn't move, not even for his supposed imprint. I mean, I needed someone who could be there for me… and sure, he could in some ways. But would he, as the wolf who was tied to my side, but also to this reservation, support my decision to move? No.

I closed my eyes, imagining me leaving in two weeks, and… couldn't. I stayed frozen, my hands gripping the sheets tightly. The mere thought of leaving him behind was already eating me… Well this is just absolutely fucking wonderful.

Suddenly, I heard someone call my name, "Rachel?"

**Paul POV**

All I could do was lay on the couch, wallowing in misery. My imprint didn't want me; she hated the town that I would forever be bound to. I'm justified for some self-pity. I closed my eyes, trying to feel her through me, understand what she was feeling.

It was like she was holding my heart close to her's, and she was sending waves of emotion towards it… like she didn't want it, as though she was desperately trying to drop it, but it was super-glued to the palm of her hand.

But there was something else… I could feel it gnawing at her, clawing to get out… It was like she was fighting it, but it was definitely there.

I focused on the part of me that was undoubtedly her's and stayed still. And then, I felt it, that one glimmer of want… To want to be with me.

I could feel it in my chest then; that she wanted me to be there for just one millisecond, and then it was gone…

But it was enough.

If there was just a bit of her that was maybe willing to stay here, with me, then I would take. Hopefully, I could get it to grow, allowing me in. And then even if she decided to leave, I would at least know that I tried, and I would get to know her.

I got up, already trying to figure out where I would take her… and then fell back to the couch.

She would say no, though. Even if I begged and pleaded, she wouldn't. Her hate for this place matched any love she could ever acquire for me… The thought made me groan in defeat.

Rachel. Rachel Sarah Marie Black. My whole world. And my world was very practical, confident, confused, decisive, and beautiful. Just five adjectives that described her… But their were a couple that didn't go in my favor, that was her determination to do what she thought was best for her, even if, truly, it wasn't. And another is that she has a temper… I smiled at that slightly. I really wasn't one to say anybody had a temper.

But in a way, it was true. My temper was physical, I would phase, want to rip something to shreds, my fury would overwhelm every other thought I had…

Rachel was completely different. She would take her anger and sort it through, staying calm on the surface, and find a way to piss you off just as much with words of her own.

I sighed. But that was what made me love her so much… and I couldn't give her up.

I stood a new determination in my steps as I walked to the door. I was about to turn the knob when it flew open, my mother standing in the doorway, sobbing.

Shit.

**+-+-+**

"O-oh, m-my P-Paul!" she cried, throwing her arms around me. She clung to my chest like Velcro.

"Mom," I sighed, "what are you doing here? I have to go somewhere!" I said, lowering my voice, trying to let her know I was in all seriousness. She let out another sob, suddenly dropping off of me.

"W-what? My b-baby doesn't want me here? Well then. I guess I'll go. Obviously, I'm not good enough for you or your father!" she cried, her sobs stopping. I groaned as she spun on her heel.

"Wait… mom, what is it?" I asked begrudgingly. She turned around again, her face bright as she approached me.

"Well, I just wanted to visit my son! What is so wrong about that?" she asked, placing a kiss on my chin, since she couldn't reach my cheek. I mumbled a few words under my breath, knowing she wouldn't here.

"Nothing is wrong with it, mom. It's just that I already planned something…" I trailed off. She frowned, her mouth a thin line.

"With whom?" she asked. I suppressed another groan.

"Just this girl," She was by no means 'just a girl', but I couldn't tell my mom very much of the truth, ever. She's nosy and overbearing, which are two things that shouldn't be molded together.

"And what is this girl's name?" she asked again, persistent. I turned away, trying not to glare at her.

"Mom, it's none of your freaking business," I growled. She put a hand over her heart, her eyes tearing up again.

"Fine," she sniffed, grabbing her purse and starting towards the door. She turned back, a pout on her face. "Are you sure you have to go?" she asked. I nodded, and she burst into a fresh round of tears.

"B-but, I can't g-go back home! Y-your dad is ch-cheating on me, Paul-y!" she sobbed again. '_Hmm, I wonder if she's bipolar or something…'_ I thought as she clung to me again.

"Mom, you know, if you're so sure that he's cheating on you, then why don't you… oh, I don't know, FILE FOR DIVORCE?" I couldn't help but yell in exasperation at the end.

My dad bad been having different affairs for about ten years, (yeah, ten) and also been trying to divorce my mom for that amount of time, but she wouldn't sign anything, she was stubborn as hell, even though the situation was annoying for dad, and hurting her.

Most people wouldn't want their parents to get a divorce, but I've been rooting for that occurrence for more than eight years.

Mom looked taken aback. "Paul Jonathon Walker! You know, I would have thought, as our son, you could at least believe in me and your father's marriage, but I guess I was wrong!"

"Yes mother, you are wrong. You should have separated long ago," I said, annoyed. Her face hardened as she turned yet again, this time stomping out of the door without a glance back.

I realized I was shaking as I heard her car back out my driveway, and from the window I could see her form was still rigid.

Some people think that I might be being cold to her, or mean… But if you spent a decade listening to that continuously, you would get pretty sick of it too.

I made sure her car was far enough away before bounding out the door, running to the Black's as fast as possible. I could picture Rachel's face in my mind perfectly, her soft smile, her eyes…

I rapped on the door sharply; not letting up until a disgruntled looking Jake opened it. "What, Paul?" he snapped. I glared at him for a second before pushing past, looking around the tiny living room wildly.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"Canada," he rolled his eyes. I growled under my breath at that, and sniffed the air once. Her scent got stronger the closer I got to the stairs. I started to climb them, and then she was everywhere…

In some places her scent was stale, but it was still there. I opened the first door I came to, and there she was.

She was lying on the bed, eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought. Her form was rigid, and she seemed to tense up as I stared at her. I was staring to get worried, so I called out her name, "Rachel?" and her eyes snapped open.

She sat up quickly, eyes wide as she took me in. "Paul?" she croaked, her voice thick. She cleared it, eyes still wide in shock, which quickly turned to fury.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her words stoic. I sighed, and put my hands behind my back, starting to pace wildly.

"Rachel," I took a deep breath, even saying her name sent chills down my spine, "Okay, you are my imprint, even if you don't like it, and I can't help but love you so, so much… well, I'm not going to let you go easily. You are really beautiful, and I need to be with you… if I'm not I don't know how I'll survive.

"So, what I'm saying is… can you give me a chance?" I asked her, finishing in a small voice. Her arms were folded tight over her chest as her eyes swept over me. She stood up quickly, moving to stand in front of me.

She took a deep breath before replying, "No," My heart sank as I dropped to my knees, clasping my hands together.

"Please! Please, just give me ONE chance! I promise you, if you don't like it, I'll let you leave! Please," I begged. She winced and turned away from me, like I was hurting her a bit, I grimaced at the idea. There was a moment of silence, and then, "Fine… fine, I'll give you one chance… But if you so much as ask me to stay…" she trailed off, warning in her voice.

I nodded joyously. "I'll take it!" I grinned, and my heart soared right back up.

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**Alright, first off I must thank the THREE reviewers... First off, Laurazuleta18, who is a very loyal reviewer that I want to thank a million times! Sweetie, you rock!**

**Next one goes to... Swimming cutie xoxo! Now, you've heard of her before! She is a great person, friend, amazing writer (Y'all gotta go read her stuff, it's addictive and just mind-blowing!)and a wonderful reviewer! I couldn't ever thank you enough for all you've helped me with!**

**And the last goes to none other than Lorelei Eve... and I hope I spelled that right, if I didn't, just let me know! Anyway, she is an AMAZING beta and reviewed the last chapter, which is pretty freaking awesome! But she did help me out with this in more ways than you could imagine!**

**So, all I'm asking is that y'all review! It would mean a heck of a lot! **

**Peace and love, TwilightHeart21**


	8. Tomatoes

**Chapter Eight – Tomatoes**

**Rachel POV**

Hearing my name I sat up quickly, looking around for the source of the sexy, deep voice… Crap, sexy? Crap… Paul?

"Paul?"I asked voice thick from not talking. I was confused for a second. What is he doing in my bedroom? Wait… what the _hell _is he doing in my bedroom?

"What are you doing here?" I tried to sound angry, stiff, and I guess it worked. My heart was melting though; as I looked him over.

His shirt strained over his chest, accenting his muscles, wavy brown hair was messy and windswept. His eyes were a real rarity, a deep blue… like the ocean, reeling me in… _'No, stop it Rachel! Stay strong! Ignore his hotness!' _

Paul started to pace wildly at my words, pacing was something we had in common, and started to speak, "Rachel," he seemed to shiver as he said my name, which made me twist in slight discomfort, "Okay, you are my imprint, even if you don't like it, and I can't help but love you so, so much… well, I'm not going to let you go easily. You are really beautiful, and I need to be with you… if I'm not I don't know how I'll survive." He paused, seemingly thinking about what to say next, his eyes were as wild as his actions.

"So, what I'm saying is… can you give me a chance?" his voice got very quiet all of a sudden, eyes wrought with fear. I saw desperation in those eyes. I folded my arms tight across my chest, trying to ignore the look on his face.

Carefully, I made my way over to him. I stood directly in front of him, before voicing an emotionless, "No."

His eyes seemed to shrink, turning black as he dropped to his knees. He brought his hands together in a pleading look. His whole body looked crazy, subconsciously leaning toward me.

"Please… Please, just give me _one_ chance! I promise you, if you don't like it, I'll let you leave! _Please_." He looked so sad, so completely broken. It hurt … it actually hurt me. Turning away from him, I grimaced. My eyes glazed over as I started to think.

He loved me… and I… I really liked him. I didn't like it, but he was hot, and sweet. Maybe if I could act repulsive or rude or something when I would hang out with him, he would stop loving me… Want me to go away.

And then, hopefully, he would tell me to go away… And I would be hurt, and even gladder to leave this rat hole of a town. I thought it over again. It was my only chance; I had to make it work. Because if I didn't try anything… I would fall for him. And he probably wouldn't let me leave, despite his word.

Internally sighing, I turned to him again, "Fine, I'll give you one chance… But if you so much as ask me to stay…" I trailed off, a warning in my voice. I could have come up with a really kick-ass threat, but decided not to say anything.

He beamed and started nodding joyously, eyes lighting up with sudden hope. "I'll take it!" he grinned.

Frowning, I turned around; trying to figure out what was next.

"So… what are we going to do? And when?" I questioned. He seemed to be thinking about this carefully.

"Well, what about now? We could just hang out… I don't know; go to the beach or something? It's going to be cloudy, of course, but it isn't supposed to rain very much," he said.

"Sure, I guess that would be fine… Just give me a sec to get ready." I sighed. Paul sprang up as though I had pleaded with him to do what I asked… like I controlled him.

"I'll be waiting downstairs." He smiled. I hope he didn't notice when my heart seemed to jump out of my chest, but judging by the smirk on his face as he left, he most certainly did.

Red faced, I turned around, quickly getting out of my day-old jeans and slipping on a black miniskirt… before remembering that I was trying to get him to hate me.

But, even as I yanked off the skirt and replaced it with sweatpants, I realized that I probably wasn't going to be able to do this… I was his 'imprint' for gods' sakes! From what I knew of the legends, that meant uncontrollable adoration. Uncontrollable, as in, even if I picked my freaking nose, he wouldn't stop loving me.

Sometimes, life really sucks.

But I also knew I had to try something, or I was going to be reeled in, giving up my dream, giving up my sanity.

Yet, I still changed into a pair of jean shorts… Damn it.

**_-+-+-_**

I entered the small living room and saw Paul first of course, and then I saw the waves of anger and hate emitting from him. I was shocked for a minute before noticing that he was staring at Jacob.

"Hey! Guys, stop it!" I ordered before drifting towards Paul. I had ended up keeping the shorts, and had pulled on a regular t-shirt along with a sweatshirt, because I didn't want to look like I was trying to hard… Trying for _what_, I'm still not exactly sure.

"We can leave. Oh… you bastard." I hissed as I looked him over. He was bare-chested. And he had a six pack. "Where did your shirt go?" I asked, crossing my arms with narrowed eyes. I could tell he was hiding a smile.

"I run an average temperature of 108.9 degrees, and I get really hot with my shirt on." He said simply. I glared at him.

"Because that's the most reasonable answer ever!" I said sarcastically. He chuckled, and before I could protest, grabbed my hand.

He led me down the steps, still having a death hold on me. "Um Paul? Could you let go of my freaking hand _before_ my circulation gets cut off?" I moaned. He immediately let go, moving his arms behind his back.

"Sorry," he muttered. There was an awkward silence, it was almost suffocating.

"So, what's your favorite food group?" I stopped walking, and he did too, turning back to look at me in slight confusion.

"What's my favorite _food group_?" I asked incredulously. He nodded, and I could see a hint of red beneath his cheeks, but he was doing well to hide it.

"Yeah… Let's just ask each other random questions all day. It'll be…" he seemed to be looking for the right words.

"Weird," I filled in. We stared at each other for a second before bursting out in laughter.

"Okay, well… I guess it would be fruit." He nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll remember that." Most people are joking when they say something like that, but Paul was dead serious. "So, why do you like fruit? I mean… why not dairy?" he asked. I suppressed the urge to giggle.

"Um… I don't really like milk, and yogurt is creepy." I answered. He raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything about it.

"What's your favorite fruit?"

"It's a tomato. Why are you so interested in why I like fruits?" I questioned. He didn't answer.

"Tomatoes? Aren't those vegetables?" he asked. I blew out of my nose.

"No, they're fruits. They have seeds, therefore, they are fruits."

"Rachel," he argued, "They've always been vegetables. They still are! I mean, some other vegetable has to have a seed!" I shook my head.

"Nope! It was just tomatoes. And now they're fruits." I said smartly.

"Yeah, whatever. They're vegetables." I was getting very irritated now. Tomatoes are fricken fruits, it's been proven!

"FRUITS!" I yelled, advancing on him.

"VEGETABLES!" he roared, also moving forward so our noses were pressed against each other.

And then, I did something really, _really_ stupid. I kissed him.

**Paul POV**

We were actually arguing about tomatoes. Yeah, tomatoes! The stupidest thing ever! Yet, it was fun. She had this spark in her eyes, as though this was something that she considered enjoyable. And I liked that a lot, the fact that she could be happy doing something with me… Even if it was fighting.

"FRUITS!" she yelled, moving closer to me. I let the pull take over me, pressing me up against her chest so our noses with smashed against each other.

"VEGETABLES!" I roared. I wasn't actually hooked on this belief, but she seemed to be really defensive of the fact that tomatoes were a fruit.

And suddenly, she moved the bottom half of her face down, and her lips were on mine. I was frozen for a second in shock. What had brought this on? And then, I pressed my own lips onto hers, testing to see if she would pull away…

She didn't.

I pulled her onto my hips as her kisses became more urgent, covering my lips and chin with her tongue. Slowly, she prodded my own lips with her tongue, and I granted her access.

I was hard almost immediately as she began slipping it in and out of my mouth. Pressing myself against her, she let out a low moan.

"Paul…" she murmured. I looked around quickly, noticing thankfully that no one else was on the dreary beach, and moved backwards until we were in the shade and seclusion of the trees.

"Rachel," I moaned back. She slid down, trailing kisses down my bare chest all the way. Finally, she got to my lower part, and zipped my shorts open. My dick flew out, since I didn't wear boxers or underwear.

I heard her gasp as she took it in, eyes widening, and then zeroing in on it. "It's so big…" she moaned before opening her mouth as wide as possible, and letting it enter her mouth.

I curled over her body as she started sucking, moving back and forward slowly… almost too slowly. "Rachel," I growled, my fingers curling around her shoulders. I almost ripped her sweatshirt off, and completely ruined her shirt and bra. Reaching down, I squeezed her boob, fingering her nipple delicately. She let out a groan, though she was still sucking and rocking hard as ever.

"Ah…" I gasped as she pulled, pain shooting through me. I could feel it coming, the release…

And then, she stopped.

"WHAT THE HELL?" I couldn't help but yell as she left me, falling backward onto the ground.

And then, I really looked at her, and started to panic.

She looked unconscious.

Kneeling down quickly, I picked her up, and was relieved beyond belief when I felt her heartbeat.

But she was still knocked out? I mean… And then with horrible realization it dawned on me. It was something I had done… Was I too rough? I didn't even want to think of the possibilities.

Quickly, I grabbed her sweatshirt, putting it on her carefully. There was only one person I knew of that could figure out what was wrong… I started through the forest, hoping to god that this would be one of those days when everybody is so tired they don't wanna leave their own homes… even for Emily's cooking.

Looks like I was luckier than usual. The only people there were Collin and Brady, and they could be scared off easily enough.

I shifted Rachel so that it would make off that she was sleeping and stepped into the house. Sounds of Collin and Brady arguing over something wafted from the kitchen.

I walked into the room to see Emily cleaning the stove, her head deep in the oven, so she couldn't see me.

"Wow, Paul. Your imprint got so bored of you she fell asleep." Collin taunted, grinning through a mouthful of melted cheese and chips. I gave him a death glare.

"Both of you get the fuck out of here!" I barked. Brady jumped up immediately.

"Paul…" Emily's disappointing voice rang through the room, but I ignored it.

"Just leave," I scowled at them. Collin folded his arms.

"When I'm done, then maybe," he said stubbornly. Brady tugged on his arm.

"Collin, we'd better just leave," Brady said, motioning towards me with his eyes. Normally, I would've been shaking by now, but with Rachel in my arms, I was calm.

"Wow, I have no fricken idea how you guys can be friends. One of you is actually," I gasped, "smart, and the other is the biggest idiot in the United fricking States." I growled dangerously. At this, Collin allowed himself to be pulled up and to the door by Brady with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Just as the door closed, I heard his voice again, "Wait… Am I the idiot or the smart one?" I rolled my eyes, "Like I said, idiot," I said under my breath.

Emily pulled herself out from under the stove, shaking her hair out and dumping her gloves in the sink. She washed her arms and hands quickly before turning to me.

"Paul, you really can't threaten Collin, Brady, and Seth anymore! It's completely rude, and-" She was cut short as she saw Rachel. Her face was really socked for a second, and then crinkled in confusion, and then something seemed to dawn on her and she burst out laughing. I let out a whining sound.

"Em, stop!" I pleaded, "Why won't she wake up?" Finally, Emily stopped laughing, coming forward and motioning for me to follow her, but there was still a huge grin on her face.

"Sorry Paul," she giggled, settling a pillow on the couch and patting the spot. I set Rachel on it carefully. Emily walked out of the room and returned with a fan. I watched as plugged it in and set it to the highest it would go. Cool air started blowing in Rachel's face, and Emily turned to me.

"So were you guys going full out, or just giving her a blow-job?" Emily questioned casually. I was shocked for a second before smiling a bit.

"Well, she was actually giving me one…" I trailed off as I turned red. Emily looked really surprised by this.

"Really?" There was admiration in her voice..? "I've only ever fainted when Sam was doing me…" she trailed off, and beamed at Rachel. She patted her arm, and the turned to me.

"Okey-dokey, now you have to get on out of here," Emily warned. I was confused, and then looked at Rachel.

"I need to have a little talk with Rachel after she wakes up," Emily winked. I turned red again as I realized what she meant.

"Okay… well, tell her that I'll come by tomorrow," I muttered before rushing out the door.

* * *

**HEY! Ah! Smiling so wide because of the reviews! They made me motivated to write faster, so thanks SO much!!! Hey, I got it! Review, and you get a sneak peak of the next chapter! **

**Now, I must thank two people! One is Lorelei Eve, who is a more than amazing beta, but unfortunately wasn't able to beta this because of some major computer issues. :(**

**Next is Swimming cutie xoxo! Okay, this girl is amazing! She betad this on late notice, and really quickly too! She is a good friend of mine, reviews astoundedly, and of course writes more than amazing stories! Thanks so much hun!**

**Alrighgty, I think that's it!! So again, it would be awesome if y'all could review again! **

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	9. Bingbing

**Chapter Nine – Bing-bing **

**Rachel POV**

I really wasn't thinking logically, and I knew that I would regret it… regret it a lot, actually. But it felt so freaking good. It was the absolute most amazing feeling ever...

I slid down his chest, trailing kisses down his bare chest. It was so hot… I felt like every part of me was on fire. I landed on his feet, and quickly let my hands finger his dick… I let his pants open, and his dick flew out. I gasped as I saw it. It was the biggest fucking penis I had seen in my whole fucking life.

"It's so big…" I moaned, suddenly more turned on than I had ever been in my life. I opened my mouth as big as it would go before grasping his cock between my teeth, pulling it in further. I started sucking, rocking back and forth fiercely.

"Rachel," I heard him growl, curling over me. I felt him pull my sweatshirt off, and then completely tear off my bra and shirt. He reached down, squeezing my boob lightly before delicately fingering my nipple.

I groaned as a wave of desire washed over me, and I started sucking harder. I was really hot now, the heat enclosing over me. It was almost suffocating, but I still managed to dip down, coming back up as I traced his dick lightly, his sweet juice tasting delicious. Paul let out a deep moan as I pulled harder and harder…

And then I started to feel weird, it was like I was slipping away. Black started to cloud my vision, and my head started to spin. I couldn't concentrate anymore, and I dropped to the ground as the darkness took over completely.

**-+-+-**

My eyes opened slowly as I felt cool air blow into my face roughly. I shivered. I put a hand against my forehead, and was surprised when I found that it was warm. Opening my eyes fully, I looked around and was surprised to find that I had never seen my surroundings before.

Blinking dazedly, I sat up and found that my head spun. "Whoa…" I gasped, falling back onto the couch. I closed my eyes, groaning. "What happened?" I murmured.

"Oh, like you don't remember!" came a soft, joking voice. My eyes snapped open as I found the source of the voice. I let out a loud gasp as my eyes settled on her.

Her left side was perfect, showing how beautiful she had been. But her right side was horribly scarred, three jagged lines running down the length of her body. It sounds horrible, but it scared me a little bit. Quickly, I snapped my mouth shut, trying to not look rude. She didn't seem to notice as she buzzed over, placing a cold, wet rag on my forehead carefully. She smiled shyly, sticking out a hand.

"Hello! I'm Emily. I'm Sam's imprint." She said gently. I sucked in… _Oh. _"Yes, I suppose you would be upset. Sam tells me that you're reluctant towards the imprint." Emily said, gently pulling me up and turning the fan down a notch. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"How would Sam know that?" I asked sharply. Emily shrugged.

"Paul probably thinks about it a lot." Emily said. I looked at her strangely.

"Okay… and does Sam have some sort of mind-reading powers?" I asked sarcastically. Emily smiled a bit more, which I didn't think was possible.

"No, not exactly. They can hear and communicate through each other's minds when in wolf form." Emily explained. My stomach dropped.

"Oh." I said in a small voice, "But that still doesn't explain why I'm-" I gasped as what happened with Paul came flooding back to me. I heard Emily chuckle as I put hand over my heart, turning bright red.

"You remember now, sweetie?" Emily said in a teasing voice. The red in my face relaxed as I nodded slightly, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.

"But... why did I faint?" I asked confused. Emily got a teasing glint in her eye.

"You got over-heated." she explained. My eyes widened as I tried to stop the blush that was threatening to rise to my face. Suddenly, I heard the door open, and then close quietly.

"Em? You said there was a Wolf Girl emergency?" came another soft voice. But this one was different, more timid, and I was barely able to hear it from my place on the couch.

"Yes, we're in the living room!" Emily called. I heard small, quick footsteps before an average looking girl came into the room. Her hair was thin, hanging off of her head a bit awkwardly, her eyes a dull brown, and her clothes nothing special or outgoing. Her lips and nose were broad, but all in all, she was alright. She got this really shy look when saw she me, a soft red burning her cheeks.

"Oh… y-you must be Rachel. You and Paul are together, right?" Ms. Plain-Jane said her voice timid as ever. Emily buzzed over, grabbing her arm and dragging her next to me on the couch. I smiled at her encouragingly.

"Um… we're not really together… I mean, I don't think we would work out with me being in D.C. and all…" I trailed off as I saw the expression on their faces.

"You're seriously planning on leaving Paul?" Emily asked skeptically. I nodded, sticking my chin out. Kim's mouth was a thin line; her eyes focused on nothing in particular.

"Listen, Hun. I know that you think that you'll be able to stay away from Paul, but you can't. I tried the same thing with Sam, and it won't work. Imprinting is a two sided thing… We're not nearly as… dependant as their side of things, but still, we love them from the very first time we glance at them. Truly, I'm really sorry you won't be able to do all that you had planned. But Paul, I bet that he'll make you happy. Sam sure made me happy, even though I don't deserve it." Emily said her voice steady and soothing. I blinked at her in shock.

"But… how… I mean…" I stopped talking after that as it sunk in. I couldn't leave. The words cut through me as tears started brewing in the corners of my eyes. I quickly brushed them away. I knew that Paul wouldn't let me leave from what I know of him, so I needed to stay strong… Push the misery away.

I certainly wasn't miserable when I gave him that blow job that was for sure.

"So, I'm guessing your fight didn't work too well either?" I asked the plain girl dryly. She blushed… again.

"I didn't fight it. Jared is the sweetest guy in the world, and I'm glad we're meant to be together." Her voice was stronger as she said this, but she added in a shyer tone, "I'm Kim, by the way." I was shocked. She really didn't mind being doomed to a life of La Push?

"Alright, Kim. The reason I called you here, is because we are going to give Rachel the talk about how to do the bing-bing properly." Emily said and Kim's eyes lit up. She smiled as though she actually liked this idea, which horrified me. I mean, come on… the _bing-bing_?

"Ooh… yay! I'm really good at this!" Kim sighed happily, clapping her hands a little bit. Even when she was excited she sounded shy…

"You see, werewolf sex is much different then regular sex. I had to learn that the hard way… We both did. And, I figured that you should start out with Paul well. Imprints are difficult, and you don't want another bump in the road, because there are already a shit load of them." Emily continued.

"Like I said, Jared is amazing…. But it's not always candies and roses when I'm with him," Kim stepped in, "So, that's why we're doing this. Please don't complain, because you'll end up thanking us one day. Emily, take it away." Kim gestured to Emily.

"First of all, we don't know about Paul, but Jared and Sam have huge bongers. The first couple of times, it'll be really painful, but y'all have to suck it up. Also, they're gonna be reluctant to do it after that, because of course you were in pain, which if you ask me, is extremely stupid." Emily finished, with a mildly pissed voice.

Kim placed a hand on Emily's shoulder for a fraction of a second, and I noted what a sisterly move it was. Emily immediately calmed down. "Yes," Kim said, a little bit more loudly than before, "Jared is horrible with me in that department. He went so far as to throw out all his condemns. He hates seeing his Kim in pain, apparently." She rolled her eyes. "But I just stole some from my mom's bedroom." She giggled again. I smiled at her in slight admiration.

"But it would be best to do birth control as well. The theory of imprinting is that it happens between two people who would have a good chance of producing strong wolves for the future, so the baby-makers are raging and you don't want to get pregnant now, do you?" I shook my head absentmindedly. I had been on birth control since I was fifteen.

"Anyway, another thing is the _heat_. They all run a temperature of like 109.7 degrees or something like that. You should at the least be in an air conditioned room, but you need to get a little creative too." Kim told me, nodding.

"Yeah, why do you think Sam and I picked a house so close to the beach? The water is freezing, but not with two hundred fifty pounds of hot, steamy, sexy muscle wrapped around you," Emily continued, a weird look entering her eyes.

"And if there's a chance of snow, I would suggest getting out there as quickly as possible. Now, of course, there isn't any. If you plan on doing it soon, then you could just do it in the rain… of course, not if it's humid." Kim put in.

"Wow. I would have never guessed you two would be so…" I couldn't find the right word. Kim giggled.

"I don't think Jared was expecting it either." She said softly. I couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"Anyway, one more thing you might want to take note of… you're going to have to be on top most of time. You won't be as warm, and if it gets too painful, just bite them. They won't get hurt or anything, so it's fine." Emily said. "Well, there's a lot more, actually. But I don't think it's for this conversation." She winked again.

"Wow… I… don't know what to say." I finished, kind of shocked. What they had said both terrorized and excited me. I mean, was I going to have a sex life with Paul? Did I want to? Was I really going to let him keep me her?

"I… have to go." I said dazedly. Emily smiled gently at my response, reaching up to squeeze my arm.

"It's okay sweetie. Just be careful. There's a lot of hurt that might come with your imprint." She sighed. "Oh, Paul wanted me to tell you he'll stop by tomorrow." She added. I moaned, standing up.

Suddenly, I noticed a slight… lightness under my sweatshirt. Confused, I started zipping it open, but then I remembered that my shirt and bra were in shreds, and zipped it up again.

The air was cool, the wind blowing strong. I shivered, pulling my arms tight around me. "My life sucks so bad." I couldn't help but groan.

I was scared like hell of seeing Paul tomorrow. I mean, where were we, after what happened? Was it going to be awkward? Probably. But was I going to fall at his feet? No. I couldn't let myself succumb to that. I had to fight it as hard as possible… I had to stay strong, stand my ground, and stick up for what I think is best for me. And I know that staying in La Push without one glimmer of light isn't.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I sounded more like my old self; confident, practical. I mean, I've worked way too hard to give everything up! The thought of giving all that I worked so hard to accomplish, to learn that all my dreams and goals would be a lost cause… I couldn't even think of that.

Yes, I couldn't let myself be completely taken over by this. If Paul really 'loved' me, then he would let me leave. Let me be happy.

* * *

**Heyla mi amigos! Hehe... wow, THANK you so much for all the reviews!! Every single one of them made me smile! ;D Also, as you may have noticed, this chapter came faster than usual! Yes darlings, I am getting into the groove of writing again and hopefully updates will be more often!! **

**So, now I must mention two people! One is my astounding beta, Lorelei Eve, who is still having computer troubles unfortunatley. :( But I still love her, so go check her out!! **

**And next, is Swimming cutie xoxo! This girl is beyond words amazing! She writes stories that will literally blow you away, writes the most amazing reviews, and of course beta's another one of my stories! She is a dear friend of mine, so please go read her stuff because I know you won't regret it!!**

**So I think that's pretty much it... Oh wait!! Also, this is important! I MIGHT CHANGE THE TITLE! It will either be something along the lines of 'Definitley Dubious' or 'Defining Destiny'! If you have a better D title, then drop a review or message me! I'm thinking it will be changed by chapter ten, so watch out! (It will explain why in the latest update on my profile!)**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	10. And it Sucks

**Chapter Ten - And it Sucks**

The cool air hit my face like needles, the sharp wind cutting across my body as my hair blew up like a tornado around my head. I was surprised of the sudden change of weather, and shaking in my boots.

After getting home from Emily's yesterday I slipped into bed and slept all day, tired as hell and needing a mental rest. This morning I had woken, taken a shower, feeling refreshed, and then, once again, reality came crashing down on my shoulders. I had come out on the porch for some fresh air, trying to remember to stay strong throughout everything.

I noticed a figure coming out of the distance and my breath seemed to stop. I could tell it was Paul from his toned body, the way his shirt stretched across his chest… I shook my head… 'Geez, get a grip Rachel!' I thought to myself angrily.

My eyes followed him as he jogged to my house, smiling like an idiot the whole time. I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my own face, much to my inner chagrin. He stepped to the porch, reaching out to grab me before I could say anything.

He was stifling hot as usual, his lips warm and against mine. I shivered in his grip before quickly pulling away, putting a hand against his chest to stop him.

"Wait… wait, Paul. I… we need to talk. We need to talk about this whole imprinting thing." I said seriously, watching the smile slowly melt off his face, replaced with a frown. I hated that, seeing him frown in comparison to his smile. He let me go and I stepped backwards a few steps, sitting down on the slightly damp couch. There was barely enough room for him, too, so I was partially in his lap.

"Rach, what do we need to talk about?" he asked grumpily, crossing his arms. That flared my anger and annoyance considerably.

"What is there to talk about? WHAT is there TO talk ABOUT?" I screeched, my voice reaching an abnormally high pitch as my hands balled into fists of anger. Suddenly, I realized that the only way we were going to get anywhere was if we both stayed as calm as possible, including me. I closed my eyes, counting to ten before opening them again.

"Paul, this whole imprint… well, it ruined my future. I wanted to get away from this town, far away. I wanted to graduate from college and have a few more wild nights before finding my 'soul mate'," I paused, studying his now blank face. "I just… I don't want to stay here for a while. Maybe someday I'll come back, but at this time in my life, I'm too scared to face anything." I finished, hating that I could be so open to him with some things. I normally I wouldn't have admitted to anybody that I was scared of anything. His eyes darkened as he looked me over.

"Rachel… you are… I don't even know what to say. I know that you didn't want this imprint; I know that you wanted to get away… But I'm tied down here. I have responsibilities to my pack and to my alpha. And I… I'll die without you. That's something that would be unbearable. Whether we like it or not, I love you more than anything else in the world, and being away from you for more than a week at a time would be too painful…" he whispered, his voice cracking in several places. As he finished, he placed his head in his hands and a silence overtook us.

It shocked me. That was the one emotion I could precisely put my finger on. I reached out; placing my hand on his should tentatively. "Paul?" My voice was shaky, "I'm sorry… I didn't know." Slowly he looked up, our eyes met, and I burst into tears.

I fell into his arms, not caring if he heard or saw me. I felt so open when I was with him, like if I cried, it wouldn't change his opinion of me. I felt myself slowly feeling better as he cradled me, rocking me back and forth. "Shh, everything will turn out right in the end." He pressed his lips against my ears. As I heard those words, I knew for some reason I could trust them completely.

As my sobs turned into soft hiccups, I peeled my face against his shirt, and blushed. "I ruined your shirt." I mumbled into my hands as my face turned a deeper shade of red. It wasn't really just the shirt, despite the unfortunate feeling of complete ease around Paul, I was still beyond embarrassed about my outburst.

"It's alright; you can ruin my shirt anytime." He whispered, pressing his face into my hair and inhaling deeply. I struggled to sit up in his death hold, wiping the tears off my cheek.

"Paul, kiss me, please?" I begged, turning my face so our noses were pressed together. I was usually one to make the guy beg, but I needed it… I needed it so bad.

He obeyed instantly, his tongue sliding into my mouth like a perfect fit. My spirits started to lift, a perfect spiral upwards. Paul's hands gently caressed my back, getting the knots out perfectly. I sighed as he finally pulled away, smiling softly as I rested my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes.

I guess, in retrospect, maybe you'd say I was happy… but this foreboding feeling kept entering my body. I knew deep in my heart that I wasn't; I wasn't completely happy at all.

-+-+-

_The rain was coming down in huge droplets, splashing off of my nose and hitting the ground like thunder. My mind was reeling as I looked around wildly, searching desperately for something. That was the thing; I didn't know what I was searching for…_

_The rain seemed to come down harder as I frantically searched for it. My mind was becoming clearer, but for some reason I tried to keep pushing the memories away,. The more I pushed them away, the more they seemed to come back with even greater vengence._

_I came across a shed. It was small, the door was hanging off its hinges and the windows had most of the glass missing. I pushed it open, tentatively entering. I gasped in horror as my eyes beheld the room._

_It was totally empty, except for a huge wolf's body on the floor. I could see its chest moving in and out slowly, though it was getting slower by the second._

_I drifted to the wolf, kneeling by its side. There was a crunch of glass and my head snapped up to see another huge wolf, its fur rustic red. I curled into the grey wolf on the ground's side, clamping its fur in my hands._

_The rustic wolf started growling, its teeth bore. I whimpered as I thought it was advancing on me. As I looked to where its eyes were directed, I trembled in even more fear as I saw her._

_She was petite, her blond hair cut in a short style, accentuating her angelic features. She was terrific, everything about her seemed to be beautiful… but her eyes, her eyes were blood red. I sank lower into the wolf, wholly afraid of my life._

_The rustic wolf advanced on the woman, a low growl still emitting from him throat. I watched as he jumped in the air, poised to attack her. But she was quick; she jumped up, sinking her teeth into the wolf's neck._

_The wolf whimpered as it dropped to the ground, writhing on it in pain. I let out a strangled cry as he started to choke, his breaths becoming shorter and shorter. I let my hand fall to the grey wolf's chest, and felt as his heartbeats became more faint with each passing beat._

_Sorrow was mangling me as I watched them both die, they seemed so important to me… and my heart shattered. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath ad clutching my chest. Tears fell down my cheeks as the beautiful woman stepped forward. I watched in shock as her hair grew longer and longer, darkening too until it was long and charcoal black. Her skins softened, turning a tan brown, her cheekbones raised as her eyes grew wider, and she shot up about two feet in front of my eyes._

_I gasped as she took on the full form of my mother… "Rachel! Rachel… how could you let them die? Your own brother! Your lover too… How could you, my beautiful?" my mom moaned, her voice coming out sad, tears trailing down her cheeks._

_I sprang up, hating to see her so terribly sad. I made to wipe the tear off her face, but my hand went through thin air, her body blurred, before utterly disappearing._

_I let out another strangled cry before falling to my knees, sobbing…_

I shot up in bed, gasping for air. The tears in my dream turned to be real, and I found myself shaking hard, sobs racking my body. I felt warm hands grab my shoulders, and thought for a moment they were Paul's, until Jake's frantic voice cut my thoughts off. "Rachel? What's wrong? Even dad heard you crying and screaming!" He said, shaking me slightly as though to snap me out of it.

"I-I'm sorry Jake, I had a bad dream." I whispered, immediately trying to stifle my tears. What was up with today being so emotional?

"Yeah, well, try to have a quieter nightmare next time," he mumbled, but his expression softened, sitting down on the bed.

"What was it about?" he asked me, a little bit of the old Jacob showing. I couldn't help but smile at his show of affection for me.

"It was… nothing. Really, Jake, just forget I even had it… please?" I begged of him. I didn't want anyone to know of my dream… From what I knew of the legends, the beautiful woman was a vampire, and I was guessing from what I felt that Jake and Paul were the werewolves… I didn't know what that, plus my mother being there meant, but all together it was frightening.

I hated it. I hated having to need Paul, the feeling of utter comfort and trust already settled between us. But at the same time… I need it. Unfortunately, I felt better after talking to him. It was like a new day had started all over again, and it felt amazing. When I'm with Paul, I feel like I'm twenty feet tall. Like I'm able to do anything, anytime.

And it sucks.

-+-+-

I placed my hand on the phone, before taking it off… again. Sighing, I started chewing my lip, trying to think it through.

Being here was hard; every room brought back a painful memory that made me want to break down. I remembered clearly the feeling of safety Paul had provided for me, but I was hesitant to call him. I didn't want him to think I was desperate, that I was knitted to his side forever, because I wasn't.

I could leave here if I wanted, when I wanted. The only thing that was keeping me here was Paul, and that was because… well, it's because the very idea of him being in pain set me off. I cared about Paul, a lot. To know that he would die if I wasn't with him, if he didn't know I was safe… it was chilling.

I've never been the kind of girl to be tied down to one guy; in fact, I detested the idea. I had always been the practical one, the one who knew what she wanted and when she wanted it. I had goals and everyone knew I was going to achieve them. A husband or boyfriend wasn't something I wanted to stand in the way of those goals, of the success that I hoped to achieve.

I was scared for him. I didn't know if I was capable of staying with him for the rest of my life, throwing everything I wished for aside.

If I left, it would kill me too, to know I hurt him.

I knew exactly why I cared for him so much, but the word seemed forbidden to me, taboo. If I said it, I would be giving up once and for all, and I wasn't one to give up, ever.

My hand balled into a fist as I glared at the phone, as though all this confusion was its fault. Finally, sighing, I grabbed it, reluctantly dialing Paul's number.

"Hello?" his husky voice answered the phone, sexy as ever.

"Paul?" I asked, my voice coming out smooth and confident. If I was going to do this, I couldn't show weakness. There was an intake of breath on the other line.

"Rach? Is that you?" he asked, his voice buzzing excitedly. I had to smile at his joy.

"Yep, yeah it's me. I was wondering if you could stop by later today?" I asked, hoping it would be sooner rather than later… God, I sounded like I was a meth addict.

"Yeah, I'll be over soon as possible!" came his even more excited reply.

"Wonderful," I murmured into the phone before hanging up, groaning.

"I can't believe I'm caving in…" I said to myself miserably.

* * *

**Hello my pretties!! 3 Okay, i wanna thank my more-than-amazing beta Lorelei Eve! She got this chapter back in like a day!!! So give her a HUGE hand, and also go check out her fantactic story, becuse she is an amazing writer!!!**

**So I hoped you liked it!!! Please review, it'd be awesome to know what everyone thinks!! Also, next chapter will be a bit more brighter because it'll be in Paul's POV, and it will also involve the pack! So be happy for that!!!**

**Again, it would be awesome if ya'll could review!!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	11. A Good Idea?

**Chapter Eleven – A **_**Good**_** Idea?**

**Paul POV**

"Damn it, Embry! Stop taking up the whole fucking couch!" I growled loudly as I pushed his feet off one end. A stupid grin spread cross his face as I disgustedly settled on the other end, scooting as far away from the idiot as possible.

"Ha, right, you don't want to stop me from taking off the whole fucking couch, I get it!" he said, and started laughing like a moron. I stared at him.

"What are you going on about now?" I asked him. He looked up, winking at me. He frigging winked at me! I swear to god the kid is gay…

"I'm not gay Paul," he scowled… apparently the kid has freaky mind powers too, "but dude!" the sloppy grin was back on his face. "I know Rachel gave you some! I mean, you're talking about it nonstop, anyway…" he rolled his eyes.

I stared at him for a fraction of a second dumbfounded before shooting to my feet, my fists shaking with anger. "How in HELL did you know about that? And WHEN did I mention is the last twenty-four hours?" I fumed, taking a step toward him menacingly. Embry seemed unaffected by my anger as he settled deeper into the couch, throwing his arms over his head with an eye-roll.

"Please, I know you've been dropping hints all day." He smirked. I stared at him for a second before reaching down, socking him hard on the arm. He jumped up, yelping while rubbing his arm.

"What the hell was that for? That actually hurt a little bit!" he complained, scowling. I shook my head in disgust while collapsing on the couch again. "Who the hell told you that anyway?" I grumbled. Whoever it was is gonna get a fricking mouthful… Who in their right mind would tell Embry anything? Embry, also know as the guy who likes to perpetually annoy people to death.

"Well…" he leaned in, looking around like it was some huge secret. "Emily told Sam, who told Jared who told Kim who mentioned it in front of Collin who told Quil who told me!" he grinned. I stared at him for a second before speaking.

"Uh… are you sure you're not gay?" I asked him, a smirk coming over my face. His smile immediately vanished and he reached out, slapping me upside the head.

"Douche," he muttered under his breath. I sat back, disgruntled with his moronic explanation. I couldn't lay a finger on Emily or Kim, Sam was my alpha, and if I hurt Jared then Kim would have about a billion cigarettes in a day, and Jared would come back with a wrath that could match Sam's. The best I could was Collin or Quil, but Collin would have Brady to back him up as usual, and if Brady was in then so was Jared. Apparently, Kim was a soft spot for Brady almost as big as Jared's. And then Quil… well, Quil like to fight, and would probably be okay with losing, so that was no fun.

"I need to hit something." I groaned. Embry moved farther down the couch.

"Well, to ease your anger, you could go visit Rachel. I hear visiting your imprint puts you in a good mood," Embry suggested. I stared at Embry in disbelief.

"Wow, you actually have a… a good idea? Congrats, man, this is a first," I smirked, standing up. He ignored my comment, turning to turn the T.V. on. Just as I was about to go through the doorway, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, trying not to sound impatient as I jogged down the streets.

"Paul?" I could recognize that voice anywhere. Her sweet voice seemed to reverberate through me, it's soothing sound making me feel like I was floating on thin air…

"Rach? Is that you?" I asked excitedly, as though I didn't know the answer.

"Yep, yeah it's me. I was wondering if you could maybe stop by later today?" At her request, I took off sprinting.

"Yeah, I'll be over as soon as possible!" I assured her, a smile lighting my face.

"Wonderful," I heard her sigh, and my heart sank a little bit.

It was a great feeling… but at hearing her voice, another emotion surged through me, an emotion I had tried to shove down, but couldn't quite ignore… guilt. I absolutely hated knowing I had guilted my imprint into staying in this prison… But I did. When she said that she wanted to leave, that this imprint stood in the way of her accomplishments and goals… that she couldn't come back for some time, my heart went into overdrive.

To find out that soon, I would no longer be able to observe Rachel's soft blush, the way her hands moved with every word she spoke, trying to express her emotions in any way she could, that I wouldn't get to see her beautiful white smile, to look into her beautiful eyes, a pool of dark chocolate deeper then the ocean… it was torture. I would go to any length to keep her here, safe and in my arms.

Her happiness was the number one most important thing in the world to me. I knew that if she faced her fears, she could get through it, and I would be there with her every step of the way. If I didn't truly believe that she could be happy here, I would push her to leave. I would face the maddening pain in the face, reminding myself repeatedly that she was happy… But if there was a chance, I would take it.

My thoughts came to a sudden halt as her form came in view, hunched over and scanning the streets like a vulture. I smiled at her though, hoping to make her smile as well. She smiled a little as I came into her view, but her eyes shined so much more…

"Hi, Rachel," I grinned at her, pulling her into a hug. She clung tightly to me, wrapping her legs around my waist to stay in her place.

"Hey Paul," she whispered, nuzzling my neck. I closed my eyes as she grazed her lips across my chin before settling them on my own lips. Slowly, she wound her tongue in my mouth… and quite suddenly, pulled away. She hopped down, breathing hard. I watched her with worried eyes as she stared past me, at the house like it was some kind of terrible omen.

"Let's… let's go for a walk. Go to the beach, the park… I just... I need to get away from this house for a little bit," she panted heavily, quickly reaching for my elbow before dragging me down the stairs. My eyebrows etched in concern at her fast pace.

She really did hate that house…

"What if you moved in with me?" I suggested. Rachel stopped cold, her hand suddenly freezing on my wrist. My breath was cut short as her started beating faster than usual. We stood there for a second, both of our bodies still, until finally she turned around with a carefully blank face on.

"What was that?" Rachel whispered voice emotionless as she forced her hands to flatten out.

"I… I asked if you wanted to move in with me?" I said, unsure what I had said that was so wrong… I mean, she hated living in that house will all the memories of Sarah…

"Paul… Ah hell, Paul. You know that I can't do that!" Rachel said, a flare of anger igniting in her eyes. I glared at her slightly.

"And why not?" I snapped back. She stepped forward, jabbing a finger into my chest with every word she spoke.

"What about Jake? What about my FATHER? Hmm, how will I break the news to my DAD?" she screeched, face turning red. My own face turned red as I, too, started shaking with anger.

"First of all, FUCK Jacob! He's your flipping younger brother, why would the dipshit give a damn about if you lived me or not? And your dad… Billy is old, experienced! You're a twenty-two year old woman! He can't control you anymore!" I argued.

"Yeah, just like you CAN'T control ME! I AM a twenty-two year old, soon to be twenty-three. While we're talking about age, what are you, sixteen? Fifteen?" she spat. I scowled at her words.

"I'm almost eighteen." I said back, my shaking growing. Suddenly, she looked at me closely… and her eyes filled with fear.

It was the worst, most unimaginably horrible thing ever. I stopped shaking immediately, approaching her with a calm face, my hand gentle as I tucked a piece of strand behind her ear.

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to… to scare you." I swallowed, pushing away all my anger. She smiled at me softly, looking down.

"I'm sorry Paul… I just can't move in with you. I just can't." She breathed in and out shakily before tearing away from my arms, her shoulder rigid as she walked away from me.

I felt myself deflate… do I have to ruin everything?

**Rachel POV**

Paul's suggestion had so much emotion spring up in me… Shock, excitement, fear, guilt, relief, anger, the whole frigging package of fun. But I had to say no, in the end…

I had weighted the pros and cons quickly in my head and the cons outweighed the pros. On one hand, I would get to see Paul a lot, he would make me feel better, and I would get a lot more room to breathe. On the other hand, he would probably suck me in for good. I wouldn't get to fulfill my dreams; I probably wouldn't get to have my full will because he would do whatever he thought was best for me. Dad would also be sad and Jake would get all mopey because I was in love with his mortal enemy.

And I just couldn't be trapped. I was surviving only with the thought that I could possibly escape this hell whole if need be.

I closed my eyes, sinking against the door to the floor. I needed to get away from this, to forget everything for just one night. I gasped in shock as I remembered a way to do it.

I thought it through… It would be stupid, very stupid, that was for sure. It wouldn't show the Rachel I am on the outside. But I needed it really badly. Sighing, I stood up. I had to do it, for my sanity.

I jumped up the stairs two at a time, grabbing my huge purse, stuffing in some extra clothes, a pair of sunglasses, and my wallet. Grabbing my keys, I made my way down the stairs quickly.

"Jake?" I called out hurriedly, glancing at the clock, which read twenty after seven.

"Yeah, Rach?" his bored voice answered sleepily. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm uh… gonna be out for the night. Tell dad not to worry."

There was a paused reply, before Jake finally answered, "Okay."

Breathing a tremendous sigh of relief, I made my way out the door, hopping into the old car I had rented. I placed the key in and started the engine, flying out the driveway quickly. I didn't drop my speed, afraid to be caught by Paul in some way. I was worried as hell as I pulled up to the hotel, nervously pulling my hood up. Every part of me was on edge as I stepped into the dull light, I looked up, noticing it was going to rain soon.

Taking a deep breath, I marched up the walk, pulling open the doors to the DBa Inn & Suites.

-+-+-

I smiled at the bellboy, who looked bored as ever and a little shocked to actually see a customer come in. I walked past him and made my way to the desk. The person manning it was turned around sorting through some papers. I rang the bell quickly, embarrassed to be bothering him about something so ridiculous. But then, he turned around.

It had been dark, and I had a killer hangover the last time I saw DBa, that I didn't really study his features. He had this jet black hair, and his eyes seemed so… severe in the bright light. They were a cool gray, almost black, and seemed to gaze into you with an almost scary sharpness. His chin was wide, wider than I'd ever seen one before. His skin was startlingly pale, looking like he had never been in the sun before… Together, his whole look was intimidating, yet in a strange way… enticing.

He arched one of his fake, grizzled eyebrows, leaning forward so I could hear his deep, slow breaths.

"Rachel?" he asked, his voice almost amused. I could barely nod as he kept his steady gaze.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but uh…" I almost didn't know what to say… I mean, how would you ask someone if they wanted to fuck you? No relations, no commitment, you just want some good sex.

"Well, I… I was just wondering if we could do… do what we did the last night we spent together?" I asked nervously. Realization split his face as he straightened, shock on his features.

"Ah, I see," he said slowly, his face twisted in a look that seemed to be struggling to think something through. My nerves seemed to go into overdrive. How stupid could I actually get? I mean, what were the chances that a random guy I had a one-night-stand with would want to fuck me again?

"Yes," came his reply. I froze, his unexpected answer catching me off guard. His steps were quick as he stepped out behind the front desk, motioning me to follow him. I stood there for a second, blinking stupidly before finally moving, almost running to keep with his pace.

"Here," he said gruffly, pushing me into a room. He kicked the door closed; locking everything he could before turning to me.

His rough hands grabbed my waist, pinning me against the wall as he kissed me on the lips softly, he slowly tickled his hands down to my insides, his fingers tearing away my pants as he moved my legs up so I was straddling him… But the only person I could think of as he pumped me, bringing us closer together with every move, was Paul.

* * *

**Heyla to everyone!! K guys, I must first mention my beta, Lorelei Eve! This girl got this chapter done within like twenty minutes of opening it!!! So EVERYONE must clap for her because this story would be a lot less awesome without her! ;D**

**Next, I must comment on the reviews... I only got a couple last chapter, and I'm starting to doubt this story a little bit... So it would be great if everyone could leave a review to tell me what they think!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	12. Imprint Trap

**Chapter Twelve – Imprint Trap **

Dimmed light streamed through the closed shades of the crappy hotel room I was in. I noticed that it must have been moonlight, since sunlight was so rare and much brighter when it was out. I blinked, adjusting my eyes as a ringing sounded in my ear… It wasn't an annoying ring, though. It was my after-sex ring. Some people say that you always have a certain ache or twinge in your body after doing it, and I guess that was mine.

I sighed as I studied the careful patterns of light that hit the opposite wall of the room. Beside me, DBa was snoring softly. His features were more relaxed, yet they still very angular. I balanced on my elbow, carefully looking him over… and gagging quietly in the process.

At first glance, Dick was enticing. But taking a closer look at his features a bit more, you notice his black hair was like a swab of grease and his square chin pointed upwards, contrasting horribly with his baby cheeks. His nose was small, like that of one of the billions of creepy cartoon characters.

With a sick feeling, I shook my head. I couldn't believe I had succumbed to cheating on Paul with someone so… well, ugly. My eyes started to tear up at the thought of Paul… He didn't deserve any of this! Why couldn't he have imprinted on someone who could have actually freaking stayed with him or someone who wouldn't intentionally hurt him?

I was always trying to convince myself that I didn't love Paul, that he was only my imprinter, that he was tied to me, and I felt absolutely nothing to him. But it wasn't true, not at all. I felt something so strong towards him that I couldn't help but feel guilty for going behind his back. The stupid thing is; I don't even know what the hell Paul and I are!

One day he was hitting on me like a douche bag on the beach, the next he was begging me to stay with him forever. He could be so sweet at times, but at others he was a hot-headed jerk. He could comfort me at the most horrible of times, but then somehow make them worse.

"Ugh!" I murmured to myself, throwing my hands in the air. This was too damn frustrating. I looked around the room again, stifling a gasp when I saw it was past four in the morning. I jumped up from the bed, gathering my stuff before slipping on my clothes. I grabbed the keys, and was about to make an escape, when a scraggly, deep voice sounded behind me.

"Rachel? Where're you going?" DBa asked, curious. I didn't turn around still, cursing underneath my breath.

"I'm leaving. My brother can hear very well, and he um… will probably tell my dad if I get back late." I lied quickly. I knew Jake wouldn't do such a thing, besides; telling dad would make him look like he was ten years old or something.

"Oh… well, will you be back?" he sounded hopeful and it made my stomach curl. His face flashed through my mind, ugly and intimidating. So as I answered, I concentrated on his voice. It was deep and scratchy, but sort of formed an attractive man if you paid close attention to it.

"Sure. I'll come back soon… not within a couple days though." I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat at the thought of sleeping with him again…

The sex, I had to admit, was not very good. The whole time, I was thinking of Paul, and how I'd felt so much more when just giving him a blow job.

I pushed through the door, running to Jake's car quick as I could, not wanting to be seen. The emotions running through me were enough to make me cry, but I sucked it up, and stayed strong. I had to make it through this, somehow. I had to make it without breaking down… again.

I tried to creep up the walk, tiptoeing so no one would know, but I was extremely disgruntled to hear a deep voice interrupt me. "Oh freaking god, it's a fucking good thing you turned up because Paul has patrol in about two minutes." I heard an unfamiliar voice speak, stepping into he light. He was tall and looked a bit like Paul. He was broad, a small scowl on his face. He was shorter though, and beefier. I could tell he was part of the pack from his muscles.

"Who the frick are you? You scared me out of my skin!" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him. He breathed out slowly, closing his eyes while gritting his teeth.

"Fuck, you smell like a hamburger and stale mints," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. I groaned at this, closing my eyes tightly before he spoke again, "I'm Quil, by the way. Remember me?" he asked, this time with a glint of a smile in his eyes. My own eyes widened at this, and I gasped, taking a step forward to see him better.

"Quil? As in Ateara? No fucking way! Wow, you grew." I said surprised. He smiled wryly, shrugging.

"Yep, seven inches, actually."

"Wow… but anyway, why are you here?" I asked, suddenly snapping out of my wow-it's-been-too-long phase.

"Well, I was running past your house to finish up my run, when I heard but two heartbeats in your house, and I realized I was supposed to hear three. I know Paul has patrol in about," he checked his watch now, which looked to be quite battle scared, "seven minutes, and I'm not particularly fond of his freak-outs, so I figured I'd wait for you to get home, and tell you that if you want to avoid a lot of trouble, you should probably get your ass upstairs, take a quick shower, and get to bed before Paul climbs through your damn window and starts to search for you." He smirked at the end of his statement, and then suddenly perked his ears.

"What?" I asked suddenly after a moment. He had started to talk very fast, and I had trouble catching up with all that he'd said.

"I can't repeat Rach, Claire, my imprint, is crying. Her family just moved here." he explained quickly, already starting to back away.

"Quil, wait how long until-"

"Five minutes! Now I really gotta go!"

I watched as he turned, disappearing quickly into the forest. My stomach sank for Quil and the poor girl who's now stuck in La Push. Groaning, I turned and sprinted up the stairs, trying to be quiet so as to not wake dad or Jake up as I sprang up the stairs. I flung my clothes off, tossing them into the shower with me in case they stunk of Dick, too. I have to admit I was pretty proud of myself that I managed to get a whole ten minute shower finished in just two and a half minutes. I climbed out just as quickly, sliding across the floor. About halfway across the room, I froze as I heard a window slide open, and then relaxed.

It was Paul, of course. I hoped to god I got all the smell off of me, because if I didn't, Dick would be tracked down and murdered within the hour. Looking around the bathroom, I picked up the pair of pajamas I had stowed in a cabinet 'just in case'.

I crept out of the hall, and opened the door gently, peeking inside to see Paul looking around almost franticly. "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom Paul Walker?" I hissed angrily whilst stepping into the room. His face clouded with guilt, like he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Uh… sorry. I thought that you would he asleep… speaking of, why are taking a shower at five in the morning?" he asked with raised brows. I scowled at him, managing to hide my blush.

"Don't try to change the fucking subject. I can't believe you. You've been doing this every night, haven't you? My god! We just had this big fight, with you suggesting the most idiotic thing in the fricking world, and now you think you can hop in my window like everything's just fine!" I said, starting to get slightly hysterical at him. He stepped forward tentatively, frowning.

"Jeez, Rachel. Get a fucking grip." He growled, staring at me sternly. I glared right back at him, not letting my gaze falter. Finally, he sighed, stepping forward. "Look, babe. I'm really sorry, okay? I was just acting stupid." He offered a half smile, holding out his arms. Letting out a loud groan, I ignored his embrace falling onto the bed.

"Fine, whatever. You were acting incredibly stupid. I'll let you stay for a little while, but you can't come within a four foot radius of the bed, and if I tell you to leave, then you leave. But don't you have patrol?"

"I can skip once in a while… And I've got five and a half hours of patrol to do yet, so I can just finish them after I leave." He mumbled, shrugging. I looked at him closely, and noticed the deep bags under his eyes. My face softened.

"Just rest a little bit, Paul. You look tired as hell." I said, sympathetically. He shrugged, and approached the bed, plopping down next to me. He had just broken one of my rules, but I said nothing as he gathered me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes.

The heat was stifled slightly by his shirt, so that it was more of a lulling feeling, finally letting me dull into a much needed sleep.

I woke up slowly, shivering all the while, I was freaking freezing. I opened my eyes slowly before sitting up, resting on my elbows. Looking around the room, I saw it was dim, but I could see it was well into the day. Glancing at the clock, I confirmed my assumption as I read it was well past noon.

The window was closed shut, and locked, as though nobody had ever opened it. I cocked my head to the side, wondering how he'd managed to do that…

"Rachel?" I gawked at my closed bedroom door as Paul called my name. How did he know that I was up?

"Oh, just piss off, Paul." I said angrily as I stood, combing my fingers through my hair roughly. I was tired of this imprinting shit, where he knew everything about me and could read me so well and blah-blah-blah.

He opened the door, of course, not listening to my comment. "Hey Rachel."

"Paul," I said crisply. I stumbled over something, and Paul's hands shot out, as though he needed to catch me, but I righted myself, shooting him a glare. "Dipshit," I muttered under my breath, bending to see what I had tripped over… damn, my phone cord.

I started to look for my phone, wondering suddenly where I'd put it. I dug through all the crap that had been piling up on my desk, starting to worry when I still didn't see it.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked, sneaking up behind me. I didn't pull away right away, wanting to stay secure in his arms for a while.

"My ph-" Quite suddenly, I remembered where I'd left it. At the fricking hotel… oh, fuck it! I let out a groan and pulled on a sweatshirt.

"Paul, I have to run and get something quick. You can hang here if you want, kay?" I frowned sternly at him, begging with my eyes for him not to follow. He mumbled a few swear words under his breath before nodding, and I could tell he was telling the truth.

"But Jake's gonna be here. I know he's your brother and all, but the kid's annoying as hell," Paul complained, suddenly grasping me in his strong arms. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Just ignore him, Paul. Besides, he should be in his room, catching up on his sleep. He looks fucking exhausted. Anyway, you can stay here, watch T.V., and help yourself to the damn food. And I promise that if Jake annoys you, I'll kick his loving-a-leech-lover ass." I said sternly. Paul growled, at this, but he had a slight smirk on his face.

"I don't need you to sort out stuff with Jake. But that whole loving a leech lover thing was great. You're one hell of an imprint." He grinned then, reaching down to kiss my nose. I let him with an internal cringe, before backing away.

"Alright, I gotta go, but I'll be back soon." I said softly, leaning into him very shortly before pulling away, spinning around to get my phone quick as possible.

As I climbed into the truck, I couldn't help but think with chagrin how I was falling hopelessly into Paul's unintentional imprint trap.

* * *

**Hi everyone! So first of all, I must thank my wonderful as ever beta, Lorelei Eve! She got this chapter back in less then a day, and made it a whole lot better! So everyone clap for her!**

**Second, I want to explain why this was late... I had a bout of writers block for about a week, and then got really inspired by a tangerine (don't ask), so I was typing like hell. Then, for Thanksgiving I put it on Doc, and deleted my word document because my family had to clear it out. So, I was typing on my aunts computer, and finished. I got off to take a break stupidly without saving it, and then it freaking CRASHED! So I had to retype the whole chapter. I am SO sorry to everybody who was looking forward to another chapter! (Thankfully, I could use my other aunt's computer for my other stories!) **

**Next, I want everyone to leave a review please! It won't even take thirty seconds of your time, and I'd love to hear what everybody thinks!!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**

**PS, Go vote on the poll of my profile about which story I should update more... If you like this story, then ya'll should probably vote!**


	13. You Will

**Chapter Thirteen – You Will **

I stomped on the gas pedal and flew out the driveway, grumbling to myself darkly. I could not believe I had been stupid enough to leave my phone at the freaking hotel! Now I had to go back and face god knows who!

"Fuck," I mumbled as the light ahead of me turned red, and jerked to a stop.

My nerves escalated as I continued my drive, suddenly in no hurry. I parked the car in front of the hotel, sighing as I sat there with the engine running, dawdling.

"I've got to get my phone." I said to myself in a strong voice. I cut the engine before slipping out of the car, and walking down the sidewalk with a fast stride. I scurried through the door, and approached the front desk. There was a pretty woman standing there, honey blond hair was down her shoulders, she had a polite, petite smile on her face and her hands were folded neatly in front of her.

"Hello, miss, can I help you?" she said in a soft voice, her dark blue eyes seemed to smile with her.

"Um… yes, I was wondering if you had found a blue phone in any of the hotel rooms." I asked, choosing not to go into too much detail.

"Why, yes. We got this just this morning, ma'am! You're sure lucky; DBa usually just keeps things left behind by the guests!" she giggled merrily, nodding her head. I blinked at her at she set my phone on the counter. "I guess he had a feeling you were going to come back." My cheeks burned red as she said this, and I quickly snatched my phone away.

"Yes, well, thank you." I said hastily, already backing away.

"No problem, and it would be great if you would pay another visit to the DBa Inn & Suites!" she called as I left, waving her hand. I didn't look back as I pounded the doors open, breathing hard as I climbed into the car. I could _not_ believe it… I just knew he had stolen my phone.

The bastard wanted me to come back, so he could fuck me again! Ha, he thought I'd wait until night to get it. "Well, I showed that dick!" I snorted at what I said… Well, guess he really is a dick. I drove home slow, going just a teeny bit above the speed limit, which was extremely slow for Forks.

I decided that I wouldn't, and couldn't, go back there. Paul was too important to me, whether I liked it or not, and I most certainly do not. The horrid truth is, I was falling in love with Paul, and it sucked majorly, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I scoffed at myself in the mirror. Great, now I was going to stop the only possible way I could fight him, and his attraction. I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I approached the house, and my face paled. I glanced down at the clock, and noticed what time it was… Twenty-nine minutes after I left.

The door to the house was thrown wide open, as though something terrible had leapt through it.

My heart stopped… Could I really have been gone that long? I counted in my head… It took five minutes to get there, about five minutes in the hotel. Holy shit… what had taken me so long? I threw the door open, sprinting through the wide open door. "Hello, anybody here?" I called loudly. I could only hear my own heartbeat in the fearful silence that followed.

I tore through the house, suddenly, and unexpectedly, fearing for something very, very important. What exactly that is, I wasn't sure.

I didn't find in Jacob or Paul as I searched, and my mind immediately reeled to the worst… Had some kind of vampire war broke out? Was their fighting at all? And if so, was anybody getting hurt?

As my mind became more worried, I only thought of one person who might have some answers… Emily.

And it seemed like the millionth time that day as I ran through the door, nerves jittering through me like never before.

I pulled up to the small house nervously, hopping out of the car as I drummed my finger on my leg. My eyes darted around before I knocked sharply on the door, my fist banging on the door repeatedly. Emily suddenly answered the door, a bright smile on her face… though, by looking into her eyes, I could see some fear.

"Oh, Rachel! Great that you could visit!" she smiled at me warmly, closing her arms around me for a hug. I didn't even try to mask my worry.

"Emily, you have to tell-" I started, but she pressed a finger to my mouth, shaking her head once.

"For the last time, I'm not going to tell you that recipe, so just quit it! Now, my sister and her nieces are visiting, so it would be great if you could come in and meet them." She grinned, and I could see her eyes telling me to shut up. I stifled a groan as I realized that I couldn't say anything, because her sister couldn't know anything.

"Actually, Emily, I was just thinking about heading back up. Todd is probably back from hunting by now, and he wants to see his girls!" Emily's sister stepped into the hallway then, smiling bright as she clung to her daughters' hands.

"Oh, well, it was wonderful seeing you Lisa. I'm really going to miss seeing the girls so much; too bad you have to back home." Emily looked saddened. Suddenly, Lisa beamed as if she got a great idea.

"Well… maybe, Claire could stay with you. Seeing how Amelia's only eight months old, she couldn't stay of course. What do you think, Claire-bear?" Lisa bent down, smiling sweetly at the two year old.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Claire giggled, bouncing up and down. "I wanna stay with Ya-ya!" I was guessing 'Ya-ya' was her baby-nickname for her aunt Emily.

"Okay, baby. You have some extra clothes here, too." Lisa leaned forward, placing a kiss on Claire's forehead. Emily suddenly winked at me, then mouthed, 'we planned this' before picking Claire up, settling her on her hip.

"Thanks, Lisa. Talk to you later?" Emily grinned, giving her a big hug.

"Talk to you soon." Lisa smiled back before slowly starting to back out of the door, before finally closing it.

"My sister… she doesn't exactly know the full length version of our secret, but seeing how Claire's Quil's imprint, we had to tell her something. Thankfully, she's letting Claire stay here for a week or so. And it's a good thing, too. Something bad happened. Not sure what though, Seth looked really panicked, and Sam and him just took off." Emily continued to babble on, but my mouth was hanging open as I stayed in place, shock seeping into my body.

"Rachel, are you coming in? Kim is on her way here, I imagine, considering Jared probably had to come in on the pack meeting and all-"

"Emily… wait, I'm confused. Claire, as in the two-year-old girl in your arms, is Quil's imprint?" I breathed heavily, horrified. Emily's eyes widened.

"Oh goodness, you don't understand… Okay, no, it's not like… Quil's imprint isn't romantic. I mean, there isn't any of that kind of stuff involved, at all. He loves her with an imprinter's obsession, or I guess that's one word for it, and cares for her more than any other person in the world does. He'll be anything she needs, a babysitter, a brother, a best friend, a protector… and possibly someday, in the far, _far_ future, a lover." She finished, yet, I was still pretty freaked out. And then, more confusion entered my mind.

"Emily, yesterday I saw Quil and he said that his imprint's family just moved here..?" I asked, question ringing in my voice.

"Oh, yes, they did. But they have to go back to the Makah res to pack up some final stuff. They're spending their last night there." She explained while settling Claire into a highchair. I heard the door open just then, and Kim stepped in. Her lips were puffy and red, like she had just been making out, and her cheeks were bright red. I could see slight alarm in her eyes as she scurried in, throwing her jacket over a chair.

"Oh, Emily, do you know what's going on? Quil came and practically dragged Jared out the door!" she exclaimed with worry. Her hair shimmied past her shoulders and down her back as she bounced back and forth in front of Emily, almost desperate.

"Calm, Kim. Everything will be alright, I'm sure. So sit down; I've got some coffee here for everyone… And some juice for Claire-bear!" she beamed as she reached down, grabbing a cup and filling it with orange juice.

"Oh, right. Claire's here. Sorry about that…" Kim trailed off. I suddenly understood that Emily didn't want Claire to get scared, which made my fear grow worse…

'I'm going to get Claire to go to sleep.' Emily then mouthed, scooping her up. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go in my room, and you can help me take a rest!" Emily cooed sweetly. There was an awkward silence as she left the kitchen, and Kim and I were left alone.

"So…" I said, hoping to arise conversation. She smiled politely at me, nodding her head.

"So." she said back, tilting her head to the side. I averted my eyes, not knowing what to say.

"Kim, are you worried about this?" I whispered after another awkward minute. She looked up at me, her eyes reflecting sadness.

"You have absolutely no idea." I swallowed, looking at my hands.

"Has anything like this ever happened before? I mean, something kind of… nerve-wracking?" I asked tentatively. I was struggling not to show my evident concern for Paul, but it kept coming back up, strangling my emotions and controlling me, instead of me controlling it.

Kim snorted a little bit as she settled further into her chair. "Yes, most definitely. A lot of stuff. There was this vampire, she's dead now, but whenever they had to rush out the door to track her, Emily and I were worried as hell. And there was this huge fight; we call it the Newborn Battle…" Kim bit her lip, looking out the window distractedly for a second.

"But, Rachel… really the best thing to do whenever this kind of thing happens, is to just try to not think or talk about it. Emily and I learned that the hard way." She whispered, glancing at her hands through her long eyelashes.

"Okay, girls, Claire is asleep, but she's a very light sleeper really, so we should be quiet." Emily said, sliding into a chair. "Anyway, Rachel, please give us an update on Paul." She smiled widely, winking. I sighed as I gripped my cup tightly.

"Nothing too exciting. He asked me to move in with him, and I said no." I said slowly. Kim gasped, reaching out to grab my hand.

"You have to be kidding! You just _have_ to be! Why in hell would you _ever _turn him down?" she asked almost angrily. I rolled my eyes at her, shrugging her hand off.

"I'm not ready for that. I didn't and still don't want this imprint. I can't leave him though, not now… But I can't move in with him either." I groaned. Emily scooted closer to me, giving me a sad, sympathetic look.

"I understand how you feel, Rach. At first, I didn't want Sam to imprint on me, but he makes me feel so good now, and it… it put an end to all his suffering. But I know how you feel. When there's that awkward stage where you want to hate him with all your heart, but you can't." She whispered.

"But what if… what if it doesn't? Or what if I don't want it to work out?" I asked sharply.

"You will." She said simply… I'm not sure which of my questions she was answering, but I shrugged it off.

As the evening grew on, and day turned to afternoon, and afternoon turned to night, we distracted ourselves with taking care of Claire and watching movies. We were careful not to think of the fact that they still weren't back, and instead talked of anything but.

As the clock hand went round and round again and again, we could feel our apprehension growing. And then, long, loud howls sounded.

We could hear some sort of… longing in the hollows, but it was more of a sad, hollow longing, as if something had just ran away, hurting them. You could almost sense the longing of some sort of pain to go away, and it sent shivers up and down our spines.

"Oh, dear god. That is not good." Emily whispered fearfully as the howling continued. I could feel that same fear snaking up around me, before finally seizing my chest and sending me in a flurry of panic.

* * *

**Heyla!! So, here is the next chapter!! Please, please review! I love to know what everybody is thinking, and reviews modivate me to write faster!**

**I have a poll on my profile about what story to update more, so maybe ya'll should vote on that as well!!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	14. Tears

**Chapter Fourteen – Tears**

My hands clenched tightly around the rim of the table, my heart seemed to be trying to leap out of my chest. My head snapped to Emily as she nervously wrung her hands, glancing around the room. "Oh, goodness…" she murmured, opening her mouth to continue speaking, but was interrupted by a loud wail.

Kim jumped about five feet in the air as Claire screeched, putting a hand over her heart. "Oh my, sorry Emily. I was just t-taken off guard, is all…" Kim sputtered, nervously glancing around the room.

"Oh, no worries. I'll be back in just a moment." Emily patted her hand gently before spinning around to get Claire. I got up from my seat, heading to the sink to gaze out of the window to the forest. I didn't even know what I expected to see, maybe a bunch of gigantic wolves running back to the house?

Sighing, I tried to control my crazed emotions. My feet paced back and forth against the tile floors. All I heard was my feet and Kim's noisy, panicked breathing. My thoughts never wandered from Paul… Paul.

My entire body was begging for him to come near, to hold me and never let go, to never ever get in danger. I had no idea who I was anymore, willing to let myself fall so deeply for him… Then again, I'd never been faced with a man like him before… so strong, muscular… sweet, and protective.

So stable, too. I know some people would stare at me in shock if I told them I thought Paul was stable… I mean, temperamentally, he's not… But in the sense of strength, emotional and physical, he's more stable than anyone else I know.

In that moment, I realized with every part of me, that nothing, my dreams, my past, nothing, was more important than Paul… because… because I love him.

"I love him!" my voice was a whisper, barely heard to even my ears, but it seemed like I was screaming, announcing it to the world. As much as I'd tried to stop it, it had happened. And I needed him too; I needed him for my happiness and sanity.

Tears welled into my eyes as I continued to study the forest harshly, praying for them to emerge. I suddenly needed to know he was safe, that he was alright. Every part of me ached for him to be looking at me, holding me in his firm arms.

"I love him." I said again, this time a little louder, my voice more steady.

"Yeah… I figured." Kim's voice was quiet behind me, but I could hear the smile in it, the soft 'I told you so'. I turned slowly, and our eyes met, the buzz of the appliances around us the only noise. We looked into each other and in that moment, a sort of bond seemed to wind around us…

Not something that I had with Paul, of course… More like, we would be there for each other, no matter what. She stood up, coming to me before throwing her arms around me, squeezing me tight. I let a huge breath go as I held on tighter.

"They'll come back, Rachel. They always do." It seemed that she was reassuring herself as well as me as she spoke, a small ring of uncertainty ringing her words.

"Thanks Kim, it means a lot." I whispered in a small voice, for the first time in a while feeling as though a part of me was missing. When mom died, I'd ignored it, hiding the pain with countless boys and sex, but now, I knew that nothing could chase away this feeling.

"Okay, I got Claire settled down-" Emily stopped speaking as she stepped into the room. She smiled softly as we slid apart, looking at her.

"Oh, sorry… were you guys talking?" she asked apologetically. We shook our heads, nodding for her to sit down as we took our own chairs.

"Its fine, I'll just be in my bedroom anyway." She smiled again; clearly pleased that Kim and I had become friends. I was about to protest but she was already on her heel, bobbing down the hallway. Kim was watching her with sad eyes as she disappeared around the corner, her head inclined to the side.

"What?" I asked her, confused. Why was she staring at Emily like that, almost as if… she felt a little sorry for her?

"It's… it's just Emily as a whole, I guess. She's one of the nicest, most caring people in the world." Kim said softly, drumming her fingers on the table, "But ever since she got with Sam, it's escalated. I've heard other people talking about it, I mean… I guess I don't know the whole of it." She bit her lip, eyes becoming unfocused.

"She's guilty, very guilty. And she tries to mask and make up for it by more kindness, by trying to be a better person. For example, she used to volunteer at the schools, and the nursing home. Now, she's not only doing that, but a soup kitchen in Port Angeles, on top of her nanny job. And the she has to stay here a lot of the time to keep up with the guys' eating habits. Everybody is starting to worry about her." I was a little stunned at the end of her speech. Although, I had gathered Emily was a wonderful, nurturing person.

"Wow…." I whispered, but suddenly, something else struck me, "Wait, you said she was guilty. What would she have to be guilty about?" I asked her, confused.

"You know Leah, the girl werewolf?" Kim asked me. I nodded, recalling her bitter face and icy attitude. "She was Sam's old fiancée. They were deep in love, love that they thought nothing could break. And I'm sure nothing could have, if it wasn't for Sam imprinting on Emily, Leah's cousin." She said quietly. I gasped loudly and slapped my hand over my mouth, eyes going wide.

"She feels horrible about it, but she couldn't not give into the imprint without, literally, going insane. Plus, she fell in love with him." Kim shrugged before a cheerful smile filled her face. "And I'm happy she did, she's like my sister now! And I'm sure you'll join us!" she smiled encouragingly at me, reaching out to grab my fingers and squeeze my hand.

Suddenly, she was looking around, frowning. "Hey- Emily's been in there for a while…" Kim said sounding confused. I stood up, "I'll go see if she's alright." I soon found the door, and pressed my ear to the door. I could hear a muffled noise in the room, and pushed it open slowly.

Emily was sitting on the bed; her elbows balanced on her knees, her hands cupped her face as she silently cried into them. Her shoulders shaking as she shuddered. "Emily?" I whispered, taking a hesitant step into the room. Her head snapped up, eyes widening as she took me in.

"Oh, Rachel! Oh my, I'm so sorry!" She whispered fiercely. My heart dropped for her as Kim's words rang through my mind. I mean, she was apologizing to me for crying! Without saying a word, I walked forward, holding out my arms before enclosing her in my grasp.

She made no move to pull away, just let me hang onto her, she hanging onto me in return. It kind of thickened the bond Kim and I had established, making me sucked in deeper as she rested her forehead on my shoulder, letting gentle tears trail down her face.

Later, Emily and I emerged from her bedroom, me having cleaned her up with a few tissues and some bottled water. Kim was waiting for us, looking slightly on edge as she watched us walk into the kitchen.

"Girls, everything alright?" she asked curiously. I grinned at her best I could, nodding.

"Everything's fine, Kim, just fine." I assured her, and Emily, busy as ever, puttered to the counter, picking up a rag and starting to scrub at invisible spots and stains on the counter. Kim rolled her eyes at Emily as I settled into the chair, crossing my arms.

"Have you heard or seen any signs of them?" I asked her in that small voice that couldn't be helped leaking through me. She shook her head slowly, cracking her knuckles as she once again checked out the window.

"No." she said, and I could sense that she was trying to hide the worry in it. My nerves rattled as I tightened my fist, biting my lip and locking my gaze out the window as well.

"Girls!" Emily gasped after a second of silence, suddenly pressing her nose against the window. We leapt up, heading to the window beside her. We got as close as possible, scanning the tree line scathingly, almost daring nothing to appear.

And quite suddenly, we saw something. It was several figures, but they were a blur, moving fast through the darkening shadows as they approached the house. "It's them!" Emily crowed joyfully, clapping her hands as she started to dance around the kitchen.

My heart leapt into my throat as my eyes widened at Kim, an earsplitting smile stretching across my lips.

"They're back." I murmured to her happily. Suddenly, the door banged open, and a disarray of voices streamed from the hall. Four of the wolves strode into the room, three of them being Quil, Sam, and… Paul.

"Paul!" I screeched the same time Emily and Kim yelled their wolves' names. Paul swiftly stepped across the room to hold me against his chest, and his heartbeat soothed me. I clung to him, not daring to let go, even for a second.

"Where's Claire?" a sharp voice broke through my embrace with Paul, and we turned to see Quil looking around wildly in the kitchen.

"Asleep, in the guestroom." Emily rolled her eyes before going back to leaning into Sam, standing on her toes to kiss him. I turned back to Paul after this, capturing his eyes.

"Paul… I- I'm so sorry. I can't leave you, okay?" I whispered to him, pushing back tears. The past hours had been torture, not having him here, not knowing he's safe. I needed to know that he was alright, always.

"Baby, listen to me." Paul demanded, grabbing my chin to force me to look into his eyes. My breath caught in my chest as I tilted my head to the side, admiring them. "Everything will be alright, I'll protect you from anything." His voice sounded so… fierce, passionate. And my heart thudded unevenly at his words. I clung to him harder, not daring to let go, even for a second.

I closed the distance between our faces, my lips clashing with his. I seized his bottom lip between my teeth, pulling his mouth open to slide my tongue in. Hotness erupted inside of me as I entered his mouth, a familiar feeling clouding all other emotions.

"Okay, everyone calm down. We have to have a pack meeting… right now. Sue is on her way here with Billy. Girls, we have some big news." Sam interrupted us. We pulled away from each other reluctantly, but I still kept a hand on his waist, he around my shoulders.

Sue stepped into the room then, pushing Billy in his wheelchair. Both of them had stone faces, and as I looked around the room, I noticed the rest of the wolves did as well. Quil emerged from the hallway at the same moment, a now very awake Claire clinging to his neck.

"Now that everybody's here-" Sam started, but there was an edge to his voice, and looking around I noticed that no, not everybody was here.

"Wait," I interrupted him, "where's Jake?" The tension in the room thickened, blood suddenly pounding in my ears. Paul diverted his eyes from me, looking at the other end of the room. I stepped away from them, crossing my arms.

"Where is my brother?" I asked again, this time angrier. Still, no one said anything, pursing their lips. A hiss escaped me as I stomped my foot, rather childish, I have to admit.

"I am going to ask one more time, and I better get a fucking answer! Where is my brother?" I yelled, my face turning red. I clenched my fists and glared at them all. Paul suddenly stepped forward, reaching out to caress my cheek.

"He's gone, Rach." He whispered sadly. I stared at him for a moment, dazed.

"Gone… what do you mean he's gone?" I asked him, licking my lips angrily.

"He ran away again, to the leeches. And this time, he took Leah and Seth." Paul answered. My heart accelerated, pounding painfully in my chest as my head seemed to explode.

Jake ran away… to vampires?

* * *

**So... almost a whole fricken' month since I've updated. I know, I know... I feel terrible. Really bad. But I've got a lot going on, and I won't explain all the crap to you here, so if you're really all that interested, just check out the latest update on my profile. **

**Alright, first I would like to thank my awesome beta, Lorelei Eve! She writes an amazing story as well, so go read it!**

**One thing I want to remind everyone with... this takes place during Breaking Dawn, so this is when Jake creates his own pack!!**

**Well, I think that's all... Oh, wait, one more thing! THANKS SO FREAKING MUCH for all the reviews! They mean a bunch, and if I could get all those reviews once again, that would be fan-freaking-tastic!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	15. I Need Him

**Chapter Fifteen – I Need Him **

"But… how is that? I am mean, how could he?" My face contorted in distaste, anger pounding through me. Paul held onto me tighter, resting his head in the crook of my neck.

"Rachel… it's a long story." Sam said hesitantly. I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for an answer. Finally, he sighed, gesturing for Paul to explain.

"Okay, babe. So Jake is… in love with Bella Swan. I mean, he's really fallen for her. He would probably jump off a cliff for her. Actually, he has. Anyway, she was in love with a vampire, Edward, and he left her. And then he came back. For some stupid, mean reason, she decided to ignore Jake, who mended her heart and who she fell in love with, and return to the leech that broke her heart.

"Jake hasn't been right since. And then, when he got an invitation to her wedding…" I heard myself take a sharp intake of breath… a wedding invitation? That was just cruel! "He ran away. He tuned all of us out and went full wolf. And then, he came back for Bella's wedding… because that was what she wanted. I can't stand that she even wanted him there when she knew it pained him so much. We all can't, unfortunately." Paul sighed a little regretfully, then at my annoyed look, continued.

"Sorry, babe. Anyway, they left for their honeymoon, and that is where you come in…" His tone turned adoring as he leaned, kissing me again. I smiled a little, but motioned for him to keep going again. "Anyway," he cleared his throat, "Nothing happened for a while, as you know. But then, Charlie had a conversation with Billy about Bella being… sick. They said that she couldn't see anyone that she had to be isolated. The first person Billy saw from the pack was Seth, so he ran and got everybody." My heart was hammering painfully.

My mind was spinning with possibilities. Did that bitch think that she could run over my brother? Ha! I'll kill that whore!

"Rachel, calm down… It turns out, she wasn't a vampire. You see, the cover up was that she had acquired a disease in South America. Some of us thought that it could be true, but Jake was glued to the idea that she was… changing. Jake ran there without anybody else's knowledge. When he came back, we got the shock of our fricken lifetime… Okay, maybe phasing was, but still. Bella's pregnant." I gasped, along with the other girls in the room.

"What? How is that possible?" Emily suddenly screamed eyes wide. Sam shook his head, holding her even more tightly.

"We don't know, Angel. But she has a half vampire, half human thing growing inside of her. It could be a danger to the whole planet! And yet, Jake and Seth seem to think that it is perfectly safe and there's nothing to get worked up about!" Sam's voice was thunder as he shook, taking a step away from Emily automatically. She sighed, stepping towards him again.

You could see the rage and betrayal in his eyes as he held her, she calming him down with whispers in his ear.

"Wait, why the heck do Seth, Jake, and Leah… why?" I couldn't even find the words to express the confusion and anger running through me.

"Well, Jake has some stupid loyalty connection to Bella, where he won't let us kill her, or hurt her. We would have to kill her to get to the Thing. Seth is friends with the bloodsuckers, for some stupid reason. Something to do with he killed this other vampire with one of them. And Leah… well, I don't know. She hates Jake, and hates the Cullen's even more, so I don't have a clue why in hell she would leave." Paul shook his head, grinding his teeth.

"But wait, couldn't Sam just like, order them to come home?" Everybody was already shaking their head to Kim's soft question.

"Honey, Jake created his own pack. There are now two alphas, Sam and Jacob." Jared's quiet reply came. Kim blushed profusely before shrinking more into his side.

"Oh." I could see by the way she refused to meet eyes with anyone, even Jared, and by the way she turned so quiet that she was upset.

"What- what are you going to do now?" I asked after a moment, my eyes sharp on everybody. Sam took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and entered full alpha mode.

"We're going to have to make a new patrolling schedule, since we just lost three of our guys. There has to be someone by the borders at all times, to make sure no one gets over here. I don't want any of them getting to home without some sort of a confrontation. Maybe someone will be able to talk some sense into one of them…" there was a pause as Sam's gaze zeroed in on Embry and Quil, who both had been standing stone faced by the living room. Quil had a curious Claire in his arms, her eyes shifting to look at all of us one by one.

"Embry, since you're more experienced in… protecting, I'd like you to stay be the res." I could hear Sam's underlying tone of superiority as he spoke, the careful stressing of his words. I was confused… why, exactly, did he ask that of Embry? Weren't Jared and Paul wolves before him?

"And… be on your watch. We can't attack any time soon. We'll have to surprise them, because now they'll be aware of our plans. Girls," now Sam took a small breath, locking eyes with Emily, "All of us imprinted wolves have agreed, you can go to your homes at night and such, but you must stay here during the daytime hours." It got under my skin, the way Sam almost ordered Emily, and me and Kim, too, to stay here. Like we were our imprinter's property.

I saw Emily and Km nod obediently, eyes wide and trusting. But I put on an irritated face, crossing my arms. "Excuse me," I said, " But maybe, I don't want to." Kim and Emily turned to me, shocked.

"Rachel, we could be in danger, if we left." Emily said in a low, stern voice. I ignored this as I stared down Paul, my eyes never wavering.

"Paul, you realize that you don't own me?" I said in an angry voice. He opened his mouth to say something, and then quickly closed it. He pressed his lips together, tilting his head sideways.

"I know, Rach. I'm sorry. I just hope that you'll stay here… I mean, because, you'll be safer." He said hurriedly.

"Whipped, much?" I heard someone mutter from behind me, and Paul looked over my shoulder, glaring at someone.

"Collin, shut the hell up." He growled before turning back to me.

"Paul, I guess I can stay here; but not every hour of every day. Okay? I don't want to be like, a prisoner or something!" I huffed, annoyed that his hopeful and almost desperate expression got to me. He grinned, hugging me tightly.

"Thanks, babe." He said slowly. I sighed a little, clinging to his hand.

"While Sam and the rest of them work out the patrols, can I talk to you alone?" I said in a low voice. He looked around and shrugged, nodding. We stepped out of the house, and he suddenly crushed me to his side, his grip fastened around my waist.

He led me to the road, and we just looked at each other, drinking in the other. "What do you want to talk about, Beautiful?" he whispered, as if talking to loudly could disturb the moment.

"I want to tell you… that I love you." I said. As I placed my palm on his heart, I could hear that its beat accelerated. His big eyes bore into me as I stared at him, never losing my gaze. I wanted him to be sure of my feelings, to know that I wasn't just saying anything to please him.

He grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it, "I love these hands," he paused, dragging his lips softly across my arm. My intake of breath made him smile ever so slightly, "I love these arms." I moved closer to him, pressing myself against his chest.

"And I love these lips…" he kissed me full on then. My eyes fluttered close as a fiery hot desire encased me. I grabbed his hair, pulling it between my fingers. He gasped, pulling back slightly. "But most of all, I love your laugh, I love your independency, the way you're so sure of yourself, I love how strong you are, I love the way you bob your lips as you walk, I love that you hum when you wash the dishes, I love that you feel so strongly about tomatoes, and I just adore everything else." He said quickly, arms hooked around my waist.

Tears were threatening to spill over as my eyes once again met his blue beauties. I had never felt so much towards another man, and I could feel everything like I was under a microscope. Someone had heightened all my senses, making the hotness in me grow.

"Paul, I love you! I fucking love you!" I cried, before jumping up, attacking his mouth with mine.

"I love you too, babe." He murmured to me as I straddled him. "Unfortunately, Sam just finished making the patrol schedule." He said after a moment, with just us kissing, my happiness escalating with each moment. As soon as he said this, though, I dropped to the ground, slightly disappointed.

"Okay, fine." I sighed regretfully. He frowned, holding my hand as we slowly walked back.

"Rach, are you upset now?" he sighed a little too, his face sad. I looked away, staring at the familiar, safe (or so I had thought in my childhood) trees, the green so inviting. I leaned against him, playing with his thumb.

"No, I just… I guess I'll have to get used to this wolf thing. I mean, I've had a lot to deal with. I'm now going to have to start looking for a job in the area, my brother is with vampires doing god knows what and being tortured god knows how horribly! Jeez, Paul, I don't think you know how much pressure I'm going through! Now, let's just get the hell in Emily's house and discuss this later, because you know what? I'm going to freaking move in with you!" I screamed at him, my anger increasing. I stomped up the steps, pausing at the door to look back, and he was standing there openmouthed. I hid a smirk, putting on my best irritated face.

"Are you coming or what?" I spat, not waiting for an answer before walking in, the door banging shut behind me.

I know what you must be thinking… me, thinking irrationally? Well, truth be told, I'd been thinking of moving in with Paul ever since coming back from getting my phone. The truth is, I need him. And I made my decision, and I wanted to do it… bad.

I could feel it now, with each step I took away, and the stride that seemed like five steps he took near me. It was a draw towards him and I couldn't ignore it anymore, no matter how much I wished it wouldn't have even existed.

Hot arms hooked around my waist as I approached the kitchen, and my eyes slid up to meet Paul's. He smiled a little before letting me walk him in. Some were staring at the both of us incredulously, and I realized with a tiny bit of embarrassment that since they were wolves, they probably heard my yelling. Heck, by the disbelieving look on Kim's face, it looked as if she had even heard it!

"Okay, everyone! I think I worked out something that could work." Sam said then, looking over a piece of paper he had in his hands. "I want three wolves patrolling at all times, four at night. I'll go from seven in the morning until eleven, and then again at three until seven. We're going to have to put in a total of nine hours each." He informed, and there were collective groans from everyone.

"Jared, can you go from eleven to three, and then eight till midnight?" Sam asked, and Jared sighed, nodding. "And Paul," I tensed, hoping he would give Paul too bad of a patrol hour, "I need you to go from midnight until seven." I gasped angrily, crossing my arms.

"What the hell, Sam? That's seven hours straight! You can honestly expect him to do that! Jesus, are you crazy?" I screamed, throwing my hands in the air.

"I'll do it." Paul said quietly, and then at my shocked and mildly pissed look, retaliated, "Rach, I can just get sleep in the morning and afternoon. Okay?" I harrumphed, but he ignored, massaging my back gently.

"Also," Sam interrupted, not looking at me, "I need you to go from seven to nine at night as well." Sam added quickly before moving on to Embry.

"It's gonna be fine, Rach. There'll be four other wolves there, like Sam said, plus I could take on a vamp by myself if I could!" he grinned broadly, but I just scowled, shaking my head.

"Not the point." I grumbled under my breath. He just chuckled as Sam cleared his throat to get everybody's attention as he finished giving Collin's schedule.

"It's about eight, so Jared, Paul, and Collin. You guys go for now. Brady and Quil will be joining you two at nine." Sam said, pointing at Jared and Collin. I kissed Paul once more before he walked away with the others, out the door.

Kim smiled at me gently from across the room, her eyes exhausted as mine probably were. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I needed to keep everything under way, calm.

"Rachel, are you-" Emily asked, making her way over to me as Sam collapsed into a chair. But she was interrupted, then, by four short howls, all coming one right after the other. We all froze, and then all but me gasped.

"Not another one!" Kim exclaimed in a sickly voice. Sam just closed his eyes for a brief moment, shaking his head a little.

"Yes, I suppose there is another one." He said slowly, dragging his feet a little as he and the remainder of the pack rushed out the door.

"Another what?" I asked, confused. Emily and Kim looked at each other for a second before moaning, sliding into the chairs at the table again.

"Another wolf, Rachel. Four short howls means that someone is phasing for the first time. After Quil and Seth, they decided on it. Came in handy for Leah, Brady, and Collin." Kim murmured tiredly. I could only sit there, my hands neatly folded over my lap, and stare out the window, praying that whoever the new wolf is would be alright.

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**Hey everybody!! So tell me what everyone thinks, please! Writing is slowly coming back to me now that things are getting back to a normal, or at least as normal as they're gonna get, pace. In case anyone's interested, Rickie and Celie are doing great! Cel is so quiet, its freakin amazin!**

**I want to thank my beta, Lorelei Eve! This girl is amazing, even when her computer is crappy!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	16. The Want, The Need, The Desire

**Hello! I will warn you right here that there is a LEMON later on. It isn't the best, but it is still descriptive. And for anyone wondering, I am indeed eighteen. I turned it about five days ago, so yeah, I'm aloud to right the stuff on the site.**

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Chapter Sixteen - The Want, The Need, The Desire

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At nine o'clock, Paul entered the kitchen, and I leapt up, hooking my arms around him. "Well, who was it? What was his name?" Emily asked nervously, looking around as if suspecting the new wolf to jump out from behind her.

"His name's Max Alan. He has an older sister your age, Jamaica?" Paul said tentatively. I gasped, remembering her. La Push High was not that big of a school, and you knew everyone within a four year radius.

"Wasn't his mom the English teacher?" I asked, a sudden memory of sophomore Honors English class capturing my mind. She was a small woman, a native.

"Yes, actually, I had her last year," Paul paused, sighing a bit, "But the saddest part of all of it is that Max is only thirteen." Kim put a hand over her mouth.

"What? Jeez, is he the same grade as Brady and Collin? Why in hell are they phasing so young?" Kim cried, hugging her stomach in almost a nauseated way. Paul shook his head, dark circles under his eyes.

"I don't know. But Jared wanted me to make sure you get home alright, and Sam says he'll be back as soon as he sorts things out with Max's parents." Emily frowned, her forehead creasing over.

"Okay, well if you see him again before he gets back; tell him to hurry the hell up, because it'll be midnight by then." I stifled a small giggle, balancing myself on Paul's feet.

"I can't even believe you'll be gone for the entire night... I won't get an ounce of sleep either." I said sadly as we, including Kim, exited Emily's house.

"Babe, don't worry about me. Don't worry about any of us. We can take care of ourselves… Ask Kim, we've fought a few battles, taken down quite a few leeches." He grinned widely at her, but she looked away, a weird expression crossing her face.

"Yeah, I suppose so." she said offhandedly. He frowned at her, but turned to me again.

"So, about this moving in business… I was thinking I could get your stuff tomorrow or something?" he said, and his tone turned hopeful. I pressed my body flush against his and pecked his cheek, nodding.

"That'll work." I whispered, my voice blowing gently into his ear. He shivered, running a hand down my back longingly.

"Mmh…" I murmured against his neck, and lashed out my tongue. It trailed down his neck, and he let out a small moan, rocking against me.

"Uh guys, still here." Kim piped up, blushing profusely. I cleared my throat, slipping my hand into Paul's.

"Sorry Kimmy. Habit." I mumbled dismissively. We walked the rest of the way in silence, even after Kim left. It was quiet, peacefu,l and very relaxing.

"Can I come in?" Paul pleaded me gently as I arrived at my house. I winced slightly, shaking my head.

"Not right away… Dad's probably upset about Jake running away. But after I get to my room, hopefully you'll be waiting for me." I smirked gently. He grinned evilly, shaking his head.

"Billy is at Sue's with Charlie." He smiled. My body shoved against his immediately.

"Well then, let's head on up." I purred, pawing at his member discretely. He shifted and I jumped up, hooking my legs around his waist and jerking myself against him as he slammed the door behind him and headed to my room.

He threw me on the bed, landing on top of me. "Are we going to do this, I mean, really?" I whispered my voice tight and excited. The need in me was so bad, I was shivering. He grinned, his eyebrows dipping down sexily.

"Only if you want to…" he whispered in my ear. I shivered, leaning up to press myself against his bare chest.

"I want to, oh god, you don't even know how much." I moaned, kissing his lips, and then his neck. Emily and Kim's advice came back to me, and I jumped up. He stared at me in a disappointed way, but I shook my head, motioning for him to be quiet. I waltzed to the window, shutting the blinds before cranking the air conditioner.

I grabbed a fan and aimed it at the bed, before running to the bathroom. I scrambled through my suitcase, before finally finding what I needed.

It was a black lace lingerie dress. It would be the first I'd wear it; I'd been saving it for someone special for a long time now. It made me look sexier and my boobs bigger, two things I loved about it. After slipping it on, I sprayed my perfume and ran a hand through my hair.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I was surprised at myself. When I had sex, I usually didn't give a crap about lace and perfume and stuff, but with Paul… My stomach flipped. I wanted so bad to make him want me, so bad.

I hitched my dress up a little, so it showed my ass nicely. I pushed the door open and found Paul lying on the bed. His eyes bulged out of their sockets as he saw me, and he sucked in air quickly.

"You look…" he whispered, his face paling. I smiled a little, shaking my head again.

"No, you don't speak until I tell you." I hissed at him.

I slowly leaned on top of him, letting my eyes scan over his body. He was so beautiful, it almost hurt. I had left my cotton underwear on, just to torment him, and he moved his hands to massage my g-spot through the soft material.

I moved forward until he could rest his hands on my thighs. His fingers twisting over the material, beginning to tug it off, and I hissed, clawing my fingernails down his chest so that a scar was left. He gasped, but I quickly leaned down, my lips pressing against the scar. Slowly, I dragged them up, running my tongue along his chest.

He moaned with every inch I gained, and I smiled. Now, I thought, for the beginning of the best part. I slowly lifted my dress up, allowing my breasts to spill out and was left in only my underwear. He growled as he saw me, but allowed me to dip down, pressing my boobs against his muscles.

In a quick movement, I slid down, rubbing my pelvis against his growing erection. He hissed, his hands snapping up to cup my breasts. Slowly, he massaged the soft nipple.

"Do you want me?" I murmured, running a hand up and down his chest. He groaned, squirming under me. He still had his shorts on, and I was sure the material rubbing against his member couldn't be pleasant.

"Yes, oh god yes." He mumbled clumsily. I smiled, clawing my fingernails on his chesta bit more gently. He bucked up, his erection bumping against me. Drawing him closer, I trailed kisses down until I got to his shorts, undoing the zipper quickly.

His hands moved to grip my hips, and his hands grabbing my underwear. He ripped them off… Like, literally, he ripped them into pieces, and threw the remains on the floor. I grasped his wrists, guiding them to my breasts.

He traced my nipples, rubbing them roughly. He craned his neck upwards, his tongue gently lolling across my chest. I grabbed one of his hands again, moving it so he could feel my g-spot. My insides stirred as he stroked his fingers across my folds, and I howled a little.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!" I screeched, rocking against his probing fingers. I finally couldn't take it, it was like my entire body was raging with desire, and flames licked me anywhere his body was against me, need engulfing my mind as I slid down further.

He gasped at my wetness, and as he slid in, I got warmer and wetter, and he smirked a little. A hotness was spreading throughout me, and I gurgled in pleasure as he thrust deeper inside of me.

"Oh God!" I yelled, my words' running together as his large dick was painfully inside of me. I panted as the pain grew larger and larger, rushing inside of me… Yet, it was also so… fulfilling and wonderful and the happiness in me grew each time I rocked against him

I could feel my walls start to close in on his erection, and he reached upwards cupping my shoulders, gently playing with my tongue. I looked him in the eyes and he burst, filling me with a warm pleasure no other man had given me.

I fell back onto the bed, both of us panting. But the hunger in me was still there, and I rolled over, playing with his hair. "My turn!" I growled. He opened his mouth, but at my demanding glare, shut up, nodding.

"Unh…" Was all I could manage as he entered me again.

A flash of light woke me, and I opened my eyes, squinting. With a groan, I realized it was lightning. "More rain. Great." I mumbled, pressing a hand to my forehead. I licked my lips, wishing that I could somehow turn off all the precipitation in La Push, for even a second.

I glanced at my clock, and saw that it was six forty-five. I bolted upwards, rubbing my eyes. Paul would be back any moment… My stomach flipped.

Last night had been… beyond anything I'd ever experienced. We'd fucked three times, each time greater and more pleasurable than the last. After, we had laid on the bed, just looking into each other's eyes.

I didn't know exactly when I fell asleep, but it must have been before midnight. He had patrol then, and had it also for another; I checked the clock, eight minutes. I hated that Sam had put him up for seven hours straight, in fact it made my blood boil.

I sat up, walking to my suitcase to pick an outfit out. I got an orange peasant top, with my most lovely butt-enhancing jeans. "You look beautiful…" I heard Paul's voice behind me and jumped, before melting into relief.

His arms wrapped around me as he sat on the bed, me positioned in his lap comfortably. "Thanks, babe," I paused to examine him, and frowned deeply.

Dark circles were cast under his eyes, his mouth a thin and wary line. His body sagged against mine and he looked like he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

"You need some sleep." I said softly. He winced at this, shaking his head.

"No, I'm fine." he said automatically, brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Besides, we need to tell your dad you're moving in with me, plus, Sam told me this was the only night I'd need to do a seven hour shift. He gave me a new schedule so I only have from midnight to four, and then eleven to three." He said, which did make me a bit less mad… sort of.

"Well, that's really good, babe. But you still need sleep. Now get to it. I'll cook breakfast and lunch and stuff, and you can help me move after that… I will also take care of telling my father." I ordered him, letting a stern look cast into his eyes. He sighed a little, playing with the hem of my shirt before kissing me on the forehead.

Not ten seconds after his head hit the pillow was he snoring; I smiled a little as I turned off the lights. But I paused in the doorway, staring at his face. His age seemed to decrease ten years as he slept, and a feeling of sadness swelled in me.

His usual tough demeanor of a twenty-five year old vanished, leaving behind a young, fresh-faced seventeen year old. It was the first time it made me feel like an actual pedophile. I guess it wasn't much of an age difference, just two years.

Leaving for college at fifteen had aged me so much, it felt like we had more of a five year difference or something.

I don't even know how long I watched the peaceful expression on his face before regretfully turning away, walking to tell my dad I was going to move in with this man… the man that made my heart leap with joy and melt with warmth. I smiled as I thought of his smile.

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**Sooo? Whaddya think? I hoped ya'll liked it! I want to thank my much more than lovely beta, Lorelei Eve! She helped so much with this chapter, and also recommomended I toned down the lemon a bit... I took the whip out, hun, in case you hadn't noticed! ;) You rock!!**

**Anyway, please go to my profile and vote on the poll! It's about which story you'd rather read, blah blah, that stuff!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, hopefully ya'll can do it again!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	17. Waiting For You

**Chapter Seventeen – Waiting For You**

"Dad," I greeted nervously as I entered the kitchen. I eyed the bags under his eyes disapprovingly, but said nothing as I knew it was because of Jacob.

"Rachel, good morning." He said solemnly. I suppressed a sigh as I poured myself a bowl of cereal. My father was always so very solemn. It sometimes bothered me, but it was also a part of him that I honestly didn't want to compromise.

"Dad, I have to talk to you about something very serious." I said, keeping my voice even. He looked at me tiredly and warily, and I sat down, folding my hands on the table.

"Paul and I are in love." I said simply, deciding it'd be simpler not to stall, just come out and say it like peeling off a Band-Aid. He didn't look surprised, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes as he studied me over.

"And you want to live with him?" he surmised, pushing his own bowl of cereal away from him. I raised my eyebrows at him, confused as to how he knew. He chuckled, reaching over the table, to grab my hand, pressing it to my cheek.

"Ah, my sweet girl. I know you've been in love with him since the beginning. It was evident in your features. I've seen imprinting work wonders on Kim and Emily… Kim was so shy before, and now she's breaking free. And Emily was timid and afraid to ask anyone anything that might make them work… I'm sure Quil will help Claire grow up sweet and kind. You all love your wolves from the start. I knew that this day would be coming soon… If only it weren't Paul." His mouth twisted a little, and I glared at him, huffing.

"Well, I think he's amazing." My expression softened as I smiled at my dad. "I'm just sad because you just got me back, and now I'm leaving you alone." I winced after I finished my sentence; the situation was made ten times worse by the fact that Jake had gone AWOL.

"Rachel, I want you to do what makes you happy. And I'll be fine… Sue will help out if I need anything, and you know me, I'm determined _not_ to need anything," he joked with me, I had to laugh.

"Thanks, dad. Paul was going to come over in a little bit and help me move out some of my stuff." I told him, tucking a strand of hair behind me ear while beaming. I decided to leave the part out that he was already here… my father didn't need more reasons to have a heart attack.

"Okay, Rach. You can take some breakfast up to Paul now if you want," dad winked, smiling. I froze, heat rising to my cheeks.

"Do you know everything?" I huffed at him. He chuckled, giving a nod as he took another bite out of his food. I scowled as I grabbed a skillet out of the cupboard, getting out the ingredients needed to make scrambled eggs.

I made them quickly, adding salt and applying some ketchup over them as I placed them on two plates. My dad smirked at me as I passed him, carrying the food up the stairs. I smiled to myself, glad that my father was so easygoing with all that was going on.

I creaked the door open to my bedroom, and leaned against the doorjamb with a small smile. Paul was still fast asleep, his limbs miraculously sprayed across the bed. I had no idea how they could have gotten that way in the half hour I was downstairs…

I crept into the room, placing the plates of food on the desk and tiptoeing over to him. I snuggled in next to him, and he sighed, pulling me close.

I wound my arm around his waist, pressing my cool body against his warm muscles. With a contented sigh, his eyes creaked open, his mouth puckering at me.

"Is that food I smell?" he whispered, and I laughed, jumping away from him to grab the plate. He winked at me as I collapsed on the bed, hardly pausing to pick up his fork. I watched him stuff the food in his mouth skeptically.

"Wha?" he asked, his mouth hanging open as he stared at me in confusion. I just rolled my eyes, popping a piece of the food into my own mouth.

"Nothing," I murmured. I had to admit, as disgusting as watching him eat was, I was a teensy bit endeared by it.

As he shoved the plate away, licking his lips with a grin, he leaned forward, resting his hand against my thigh. "What did your dad say?" he murmured, planting kisses up my jaw line. I moaned a little as his tongue casually lolled over my neck.

"He was surprisingly, okay with it all," I shivered. He smirked, roughly bringing me to meet his mouth. I gasped as he started kissing me; it was like the other night was starting to replay.

"Pauly, why don't we save this till after I move in… That way we'll have the whole place to ourselves." I chocked. His heat was already making flames lick at my skin; my entire body itched to be with him.

"Ugh, you know I hate that name." he whined, but sighed, nodding as he sat up. We both stretched out our limps as we stood, and I looked around the room.

"Fuck. I can't believe I'm moving out." I whispered, shuffling my feet. It was an odd sensation, knowing I wouldn't live here again, realizing that I was finally stepping away from the last piece of my mother…

Tears fell out of my eyes, but I turned my back on Paul so he wouldn't notice. I didn't want him to see me weak anymore, and I knew that if he saw me sad, he would make me stay here.

"Rach, baby, are you okay?" he whispered, sidling up behind me. I took a gulp of air, wiping my tears away.

"Of course. I don't have many things, considering a bunch of my stuff is still in DC… I'll have to have that shipped down or something. I just have a few suitcases and then I'll need some boxes for the rest of my stuff." I said, already going into Hitler mode. Paul nodded obediently as I spoke, like I was giving him orders.

"Alright, you go and find some of the boxes in Jake's garage, and I'll start gathering the stuff I need." I pecked his cheek affectionately before he sauntered out of the room. Kneeling to the floor, I started packing my suitcases, making sure all of my clothes were in check.

"Here, babe." Paul said as he came, dropping five boxes to the bed.

"Thanks. Can you start clearing of that dresser and putting the stuff in the smallest box?" He did as was asked, a huge grin splattered across his face as he worked. I couldn't help but giggle at his obvious joy of seeing me move in with him.

"Are you sad to leave?" he asked after a moment of quiet. I sighed at his question, staring out the window to the streaks of rain trailing down the glass.

"Yes. I guess I am. But I'm also… excited. I need to let go of all that's made my life so screwed up. Besides, I love you, and I want to be with you as much as possible." I smiled at him from my position on the floor, and he slid off the bed.

He bent down, picking me up in his strong arms, to twirl me around. "Fuck, Rach, I love you so much." He beamed, chuckling. I grinned at him as he set me on my feet again.

"Okay, just a few more boxes..." I said breathlessly, holding my head a little as I balanced myself. Spinning in circles always made me dizzy.

I stared at all the boxes before us, and slumped against Paul's shoulder, slightly exhausted. I had been more unwilling to leave behind childhood items that I'd imagined, so it'd taken us more time than we'd planned for to pack all of my stuff up.

"I'll load my truck." Paul whispered in my ear, making me shiver and gnash my teeth together. It had been happening all day, the feeling of not wanting to stop touching him. I brushed my hand down his arm as he picked up eight boxes at once, leaving only five and my suitcases on the floor. My side of the room was as bare as Rebecca's now, and I couldn't help the tears pouring out now.

It was weird to see the room so empty. This was the bed I had my first fuck in, I first snuck out through that window, I found out about my mother's death on that spot of carpet, next to the side table. It was like taking a big dose of nostalgia.

I sighed before taking two of my suitcases, getting a good grip on them before I made my way down the stairs. Paul was on his way up again, and told me he would get the rest. I thanked him and started to look for my dad.

I found him in the living room. Sue was there, along with Charlie. They were both watching a sports game on the television, but I ignored it as I stepped up to him. He smiled at me graciously, motioning for me to follow him to the kitchen.

"Dad, I-" I started to speak, but he cut me off with a wave of his hands, and then opened his arms. With a tear streaked smile, I leaned down and hugged him best I could, though his chair made it difficult.

"You'd better visit me weekly, at the least, I missed you too much when you were in college." He said with a wan smile, which made me laugh.

"I'll visit you every day, if you want." I whispered, hugging him again.

"I think Paul's waiting for you." He said gently, untangling my arms from his neck. I smiled at him apologetically one more time before turning and picking the suitcases up and stepping determinedly out the door.

I sighed as I put the suitcases in the backseat of his truck, and slammed the door. Paul opened the passenger door for me from the driver's seat and I jumped in, settling my seatbelt into place with a disgruntled expression.

"God, he knows the exact way to make you feel guilty!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air. Paul reached over, squeezing my hand.

"Rach-ach, it's gonna be fine. You'll see him all the time. You're only moving ten blocks away," Paul soothed, smoothing his own hand over mine. I groaned at his words, letting my head fall to the headboard with a thud.

As we got closer to his house, my mood brightened. I was excited for it; the past week had been like a roller coaster ride. I had no control over my emotions and every twist was a shock and brought so much worry.

But now I felt whole. It was like; with Paul at my side I was invincible. I had never felt this… solid before. I knew he would be there for me no matter what and it made me want to get a big bottle of glue and attach him to my side.

I held his hand more tightly, inching towards him more than before. He grinned at me, but in a second his smile vanished as his head whipped to his house.

"Ah, shit!" he cursed, his car lurching forward and then accelerating again. I gasped, my hands snapping out to balance myself on the dashboard.

"What the heck, Paul?" I hissed angrily, not believing that he would do that. He was supposed to have amazing reflexes! His face had gone pale, as possible, and he was driving very slowly.

It was then that I noted the black car sitting in his driveway. A wash of jealousy washed over me as my eyes narrowed.

"Is that… an ex girlfriend?" I hissed again, crossing my arms. Paul blanched, an unpleasant look settling on his face.

"No. Worse… it's my mother."

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**Heyla! Sorry for the wait, and I have to warn you, this is unbetad... **

**Thanks to all readers, and I have amazing news! I AM ENGAGED!!! We aren't getting married till after we graduate from college, in four and a half years, BUT STILL OH MY GOD! I cannot believe it! Wish me happiness with my Kimmy!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	18. Some Twinkie

**Chapter Eighteen – Some Twinkie **

Paul looked like he was about to faint, no joke. I had never seen someone scared so shitless in my entire life. I was, I have to admit, amused. I mean, afraid of his mother?

He finally pulled into his parking lot and climbed out slowly. I pushed open my door and he helped me down, hugging me.

"Okay, Rach, no matter what happens in there, can you promise me that you'll still love me?" he said, totally serious. I suppressed a smile before nodding, not daring to say anything in fear of a giggle breaking out.

Paul gripped my hand, and led me into his house.

It was sort of odd, this was the first time I'd ever seen his house, and most people would have been at their boyfriend's houses hundreds of times before moving there. But of course, not me.

"Mom?" Paul's voice was rough as he called out, and at his yell I heard a woman burst into hysterical tears. I jumped, surprised at the outburst. Paul ground his teeth together before letting me follow him into his living room.

It looked exactly as I would picture his house to be, shaggy yellow carpet, drooping brown couch, dim light that streamed through a half-closed blind. But I was more focused on the woman sobbing on the broken looking recliner in the corner.

She had Paul's curly brown hair, though the similarities stopped there. She was very petite, her body curled in on itself. Her sharp eyes narrowed at me as we walked in, and she took a shaky breath.

"Oh, Paul… who is this?" she choked, gesturing to me. Paul glanced at me once before pulling me to his side.

"This, mother, is Rachel Black. One of Billy's daughters? We're kind of… going out. Actually, she's moving in with me," he said with a tone of defiance. I beamed up at him, though his mother looked quite angry. She stomped closer to us, her fists clenched at her sides as she sent me a hair-raising glare. I ignored, smiling toothily at her.

"How long have you even been together? This is ridiculous! You two have no idea what you're getting into! And now, of all times?" she burst, throwing her hands around her head wildly as the balls of her feet bounced up and down.

I have to admit, she looked like a crazy person, and as she angrily turned to me, the smile wiped completely off my face, I felt some of Paul's fear. "This is going to be your fault! I'm going to lose my Paul to some… some Twinkie!" Her words came out into one twist of anger, and Paul was shaking madly at my side.

I quickly reached out, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Calm down, Hon. For me?" I breathed, low enough so his mom wouldn't hear. She hissed, taking another step towards the two of us.

"What are you whispering about?" she snapped, crossing her arms. Paul ignored the question as he approached his mother, standing over her.

"Mother, I love you… But if you ever, ever insult me or the love of my life again, I am not going to be able to talk to you anymore. I would end up hurting, or possibly killing you." As he said these, words, a shiver ran up my spine. I was guilty and a little bit scared for Mrs. Walker. After all, she didn't ask for this imprint.

Mrs. Walker slumped away from him, a defeated look crossing her face. Just as quickly as the look had come, she straightened up, puffing up her hair, before turning away from us. She walked stiffly to the hallway before pausing, glancing back at us.

"Oh, by the way sweetie, the reason I came? I wanted to tell you I finally signed the divorce papers so your father and that slut of a bitch could get married!" And with that final statement, she ran out of the room, tears slipping down her face.

Guilt clouded Paul's face as the door slammed, and I placed a hand on his shoulder… I had no idea that his parents were in trouble or divorcing.

"You okay?" I whispered apologetically. He shook his head once, and then turned sliding his arms around my waist, pulling me close.

"Jesus lord, this is supposed to be a happy day. And I'm fine… my dad filed for divorce ten years ago when he met Lili, he loves her apparently… my mom was heartbroken and wouldn't sign the damn papers. I've been rooting for her to fucking sign them for so long, it's a bit of a relief," he said quietly, a tone of relief coloring his voice.

"Anyway, I suppose I should give you the grand tour?" he flashed me a grin before seizing my hand pulling me down a hallway to our left.

"So, this is the kitchen…" It had green counters and white cabinets, definite clash, with a small table in the corner with three seats, one of the chairs had a broken leg and another had stuffing falling out of the seat. The wood table looked like it was about to fall over, and I could see quite a few scratches and bumps in the floor and walls.

"What the hell happened to this room?" I demanded, scared a former rapist lived here or something. Paul smirked, crossing his arms as he leant against the wall.

"I guess you could say this is the room I express my anger in…" he trailed off, and I sent him a tiny look of fright and anger. He just laughed, pecking me on the head.

"Don't worry, with you here, I'll be much more in control!" he promised before pulling me back into the hall.

"This is the bathroom, I cleaned it up for you, don't worry, and then these are the extra bedrooms." I poked my head into the two bedrooms he pointed to, which were mostly bare.

"And finally, our bedroom." He winked at me before shoving the door open.

The bed looked really cushy, only a comforter covered it. I could understand why, with Paul's heat he probably needed only that, as would I. There was an EZ Recliner in the corner, random clothes draped over it, and a lamp standing next to that. A couple dressers and an old TV completed the room.

The whole house had a sort of worn down, tired look to it… and I loved it!

It was kind of nice to know that the person I loved had already made my new house, home. "So, do you like it?" he asked anxiously, wringing his hands. Looking into his eyes, I saw the worry and fear that I wouldn't like his house, the only house he could offer me… But he didn't know. He didn't know that I was too terrible to deserve him. I cheated.

A flush of heat ran to my cheeks. I quickly pushed my hair out of my face and shook my head to clear it, smiling at him encouragingly."Of course I love it, Paul-y!" I gushed reassuringly, hugging him tight. He picked me up, swinging me around. I pulled myself to his lips, kissing him.

He sighed as he let me down, pecking my face all over. "Sorry babe, I'll go get your stuff and we can set it all up… But, you'll have something to look forward to once we're finished," he winked at me and I giggled, riding my shorts and shirt up just for him.

I grabbed my suitcases while Paul grabbed some of the stuff from my room. He told me I could put my stuff in the closet and one of the dressers, and I filled it up quick.

Once I was done with that, I sat next to Paul and watched him peel the tape off the last couple of boxes. "Damn girl, how much did you bring?" he asked, pulling out a lamp I got when I was fourteen. "Why do you need this?" he demanded, and I glared at him, seizing the lamp.

I set it up on one of the end tables by the bed, ignoring him. "This item is very important to me, Paul!" I shot at him, and he rolled his eyes at me.

"Yeah, okay," he dismissed the conversation, and dug his hands into the box again, pulling out a plastic blue vase.

"What the fuck is this, Rach? Why would we need a vase?" I scoffed as I shot my arms out, cradling it to my chest.

"This is important too! I got it from one of my friends when I left for college!" I argued, and he looked at me for a second before closing his eyes, rubbing his forehead.

"Lord help me…" he murmured, and I hit him with the vase. He dodged it just in time, so I swung at thin air.

"Oh shut it! Now, help me with the rest of this," I gestured to the boxes on the floor. He rolled his eyes before pulling me into him.

"Later, we'll do unpack later!" he whispered, nibbling my ear. I shivered against him, clawing his sides.

"Deal…" I murmured. He picked me up bridal style, swinging me twice before leaping on the bed, twisting the blinds shut so the room was immersed in darkness.

* * *

**WARNING: This was NOT beta'd. I'm really sorry to my beta, but this is so late I had to just get it out quick as possible. I haven't had any time to write, I'm moving in with my fiancee, and things have been crazy... this is the first time I've seen my laptop in three days, I had to use a public one at this bakery for my emails and stuff.**

**ANYWAY, reviews are appreciated as always!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	19. Step On It

**Chapter Nineteen – Step On It**

"Rach, do you have to go?" Paul pouted from the driver's seat, reaching his hand to squeeze mine. I rolled my eyes, giving him a playful smirk.

"Yes, I do have to go! I have to sign off of my contract for the apartment, plus I gotta quit my stupid job," I told him, and he groaned depressively. I frowned at him with a warning, "Come on, Paul. My flight leaves in three hours, I'll only be gone for a night. My flight arrives tomorrow at five." He didn't look comforted by this, but forced a smile at me. I huffed at him, turning to stare out the windshield.

I knew he would cave eventually if I pretended to be pissed at him, and then we would make up and everything would be okay.

The sun was setting, the horizon colored with oranges and reds and pinks. I gazed at it, drawn in by the array of emotion expressed in it…

He groaned again as he turned into the Port Angeles Airport, pulling slowly up to the door to let me out. "Rachel, if there is anything dangerous there, just call me! Okay, promise me you will?" he pleaded, and I smiled at him, leaning over to give him a huge kiss.

I so totally called that!

"Of course, Pauly. You know I wouldn't even consider not calling you," I cooed to him, kissing his forehead sweetly before taking my one carry-on out of the car. He looked at me longingly, and I shot him an apologetic glance as I backed up... I gave him one final kiss before climbing out of the car, waving goodbye as I headed in.

I only needed the one carry-on because I needed to just get a few items, along with signing off my apartment so I didn't have to pay rent, and then stop in to quit my waitressing job. The furniture in my house was owned by my friends, and if it wasn't I could leave it there. I had already paid to ship most of my stuff down, so hopefully they had gotten the hint… not that I wasn't sad to be leaving them.

I wove through the hundreds of people in the crowded airport, heading towards security with a determined pep in my walk. It was harder beyond anything I had ever experienced to walk away from Paul; a gaping hole in my chest was starting to chew itself open already and I could feel him driving away further every moment.

But I took a deep breath; I had to get all of my stuff. I would not become some dependent, clingy girlfriend. Ugh, I couldn't even if I freaking wanted to, and I would rather shoot myself than want to.

~*~*~

"Rachel!" Colleen ran up to me, flinging her gangly arms around my neck and sending me stumbling to catch my balance. I laughed, removing her suffocating hold on me and stepping back to look her over. Colleen was a short girl, beautiful blond hair from an angular face. We had bonded over our minors, which both happened to be English.

"Rachel! Great to thsee you! It'sth been too long since we've lathst freaking saw you!" she lisped with a huge smile. I grinned back at her, readjusting my shoulder strap on my carry-on. She looped her arm through mine loosely as we started to tumble our way across the airport.

"Thara and Mandy are waiting by the car, but they thstill can't wait to thee you!" she said, patting my hand reassuringly. And then, she looked at me closely and something seemed to register in her mind.

"Wait a minute, where are all your bagth?" she said, halting us to a stop as stared around confusedly. I sighed a little… I had put off telling my roommates that I was moving to a whole different state permanently.

"See, Colleen, about that… Um, I kinda came to get my stuff. I'm actually moving to La Push, to live with my boyfriend," I said gently, and her mouth fell open, shock washing over her face as I tugged her forward. She started babbling, seemingly not understanding what I was talking about.

"Wait! Rachel! Oh my god, how could you not have told uth that you have a boyfriend?" she squeaked as she followed me. I spotted Sara and Mandy, identical twins that shared Colleen and I's apartment. Mandy had an edgier haircut and style, though, so it was easier to tell them apart.

"Mandy! Sara!" I called, running up to them. They gave me a quick hug, but Colleen ripped us apart, wildly looking between us.

"The both of you, Rach just told me that she ith moving out… to live with her boyfriend!" Colleen yelled at them, and their eyes widened considerably.

"What? Rachel? What in hell does she mean?" Mandy yelled at me, and I rolled my eyes, settling my hands on my hips.

"So here's the deal, I met Paul the day I arrived. We are now in love, and I have officially moved in with him. Short, but sweet eh?" I cackled, climbing into the passenger's seat of the car. The twins climbed in the back, Colleen jogging to the driver's side to start the car.

"Okay, Rachel, we are not pulling out of thith parking lot until you give us more info!" Colleen ordered stubbornly. I huffed, crossing my arms angrily.

"You guys, we just have a special connection, and I'm looking for a job there, and I really am in love with him… and, well, hey… wait a minute! I sent someone to get all my stuff shipped to La Push? Didn't you guys get that?" I asked them, confusion wrinkling my brow. Comprehension dawned on their faces.

"We just thought you were sending that stuff back there because you were bringing new stuff to our place," Sara said miserably, making me wince.

"Guys, look, I'm sorry. I was just coming to pay off the final rent and quit my job. Plus, I wanted to say goodbye to my only female friends in a long time!" I smiled at them all, and they glared back at me. I sighed, "Paul makes me happy. I can't be away from him for too long, he needs me and I need him. My flight back leaves tomorrow."

They were still silent in the car, and a sad feeling washed over me. "Do you need me to drop you off at the Coffee thop?" Colleen asked, and I shot her a grateful look.

"Yes, that'd be great! I can't wait to finally not have to work through another shift of Mr. Warner staring at my ass," I laughed, and I was pleased to find they giggled along with me.

Mr. Warner had been my pervert of a boss for the past three years, always slapping my ass or 'accidentally' knocking his hand across my boob. I always put up with it, I needed the money.

I was so happy I could finally tell him off, a smile stretched across my face and the twins gave me slightly freaked looks. "Thanks guys, really! I can walk home though; I need some exercise from sitting on that stupid airplane for so long!" I joked, and Colleen giggled softly.

I stepped out of the car, glad to make amends with my friends, and headed into the Coffee House with an air of arrogance. Mr. Warner looked up from the empty counter at the sound of the door opening, and grinned perversely as I walked towards him.

"Rachel! I see that you're back. How was your time off?" he attempted to flirt, but I scoffed, stepping forward.

"I quit," I said confidently, quickly, and it took a second for him to register what I said. When I did, he did a double take, his squinty eyes scanning me to make sure I was telling the truth.

"What in fuck are you talking about, Black?" he growled. I hissed back at him, stepping forward to slap him across the face.

"What do mean, what am I talking about?" I roared, flailing my arms around. "You have been feeling me up and staring at me since I began working here! You're lucky I didn't file you for sexual assault! So I finally quit this filthy place that has freaking bugs in the coffee beans and is the dirtiest restaurant I have ever seen!" I continued screaming, and several customers stood, disgusted, and raced out of the restaurant.

Mr. Warner looked shocked as I strode out of the place, closure in every step.

"That was sexy, you know? What you just did in there." The voice behind me made me jump and I whirled around, ready to kick some stalker or rapist's ass, when Jon came into view, smiling. I let out a deep, relieved breath.

"Lord Jon! You scared me half to death, what the hell were you thinking?" I growled, and he smirked, shaking his head.

"Sorry Rach. My bad… but I wanna show you something," he winked, and suspicion crawled over me.

"What are you talking about?" I growled, and he laughed, winking again.

"I think you know, Rachel… Actually, why in hiding?" he asked, almost to himself. And then he stepped forward, and seized the back of my neck. My eyes narrowed and I stuck my arms out to push him away, when he pulled me forward forcefully, pressing me to his body.

"Mmh! Mmh!" I screeched against his lips, but he didn't let up… I felt so wrong with him, his lips were too white, too cold, too thin. His body wasn't right either, so flabby compared to Paul's smooth physique.

Finally, I managed to give him one good shove, and his hold on me broke as he stumbled back. He was obviously confused by my actions, but I didn't give a shit. I was mad… no, mad was way too much of an understatement; I was seething with absolute fury!

"What the hell, motherfucker? Why'd you do that?" I whispered, trying not to scream at him. He glanced at me, straightening himself.

"Well I-I thought we were going out…" he stared at me, and I gaped at him.

"Why Jon, why would you think that? I am freaking in love with another man! Actually, I came back here to quit my job and say goodbye to everyone because I am moving in with him!" I yelled, my voice reaching a higher volume with each word I spoke.

He scrambled away from me, throwing embarrassed looks at everyone in sigh before finally turning around and sprinting away from the area.

~*~*~

I huffed, taking out my phone again and checking the time on it. It was six o'clock! My flight landed just on time, right on the dot, and Paul still hadn't arrived. I was getting pretty freaking mad. I had gone through saying goodbye to my sob-fest roommates, and warded off two perverts, and I was tired and wanted to get home and sex him up! But that was not going to happen if he didn't pick me up!

Suddenly, my phone beeped, and I excitedly took it out, but let my shoulders sag seeing Emily's name light up the caller ID.

"Hey, Em," I said sadly, but was startled with her retaliation.

"The spawn Rach! Bella and Edward's baby was born! They're all at a meeting with the Jacob's pack! You need to wait right where you are, at the airport, okay? They don't want you to drive in case there might be danger," she huffed, and my face paled.

"Alright…" I replied shakily, biting my lip. We hung up, and I leaned against the wall, blood rushing to my cheeks.

Did this mean they could be in war? Would one of them get hurt? My stomach twisted even more painfully at the thought that Paul, my Paul, could get hurt… I shivered in fear.

I couldn't let him. It would be too horrible to even consider. I had to be there, in case anything happened… I had to get there.

I knew that he would be pissed off royally if he was okay in the end with me driving down there, but I didn't give a shit. What needed to be done, needed to be done.

I ran through the doors, stopping next to a taxi. "Hey! Hey, I need a ride to La Push! It's just right near Forks," I called to the cab driver. His eyes widened as he scowled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Are you kidding? That's an hour away!" I knew from the look on his face he didn't believe I would be able to pay, so shooting him an irritated glance, I dub in my pocket before flashing my credit card. His eyes widened, and then he smiled.

"Hop in, pretty lady. Tell me where, and I'll go," he said, and I nodded, telling him my address, and then saying I'd tip him largely if he could, please, step on it.

* * *

**So here is the next chapter! I'm so happy with myself for updating so frequently all of a sudden!! Reward my awesomeness with a review, pwease? ;D LOL**

**I just wanted to let you all know I'm gonna be working my arse off on this story to finish it before it's been a year after it was posted... I really don't want it to go past then!**

**Also, I must thank my ever so fabulous beta, Lorelei Eve! She rocks so friggin much, got this back just when I needed it so you must all go and applaud her awesomeness! LOL**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**

**PS, Don't forget to vote on the poll!**


	20. You Have To

**Chapter Twenty – You Have To **

The taxi hurtled down the highway, and I clutched the seat in front of me, my nails digging into the leather. The sun was just beginning to set, and my breath was held tightly. I was on high alert, scared that something would jump out of the bushes and attack me.

There was a good chance that a war was brewing, right now and I might drive right into the middle of it... My gut gave a good lurch as I glanced at the driver, who was focusing on the road lazily, a cigarette dangling between his chubby fingers. Did I put him in danger as well, an innocent man who had no idea of the world around him?

I suppressed the urge to cry, swallowing back my emotions as I so often did in my life. Paranoia washed through me, my heart skipping a beat or two as I thought of my Paul, of the rest of the pack who might be in danger. But especially my Pauly… How had I resisted him, how had I hated him so much in the beginning of this all?

Not loving him, not having him in my life now seemed so impossible it was ridiculous to think about; so much so that my eyes again started to tear up. I quickly, pressed my palm against my eyes, and they subsided. The driver noticed, and shot me a curious, uncomfortable look.

"You okay, beautiful?" he asked me patronizingly. Short anger sizzled up my spine, but I ignored it, forcing a smile at the arrogant bastard. Before, I would have bit his head off for talking to me like I was a simpleminded fifties housewife, but I didn't want to rile him when I needed to get to La Push so badly.

We were very nearly there; it was only a few short minutes away as we entered the 'Welcome to La Push' sign. "Here! Here is fine, you can let me off here," I smiled at him, and he nodded.

"Payment, beautiful?" he reminded forcefully, and with annoyance I swiped my credit card through, looking in my wallet for a tip. With dismay, I found only a twenty, so I handed it over to him and he frowned, but pocketed it.

"Thanks so much," I said quietly before climbing out, slamming the door with a definite whack. He zoomed away a second later, and I was left standing in Emily's bumpy driveway, alone. I shivered as the thought crossed my mind, and started up to the house.

I opened the door, and soft cried met my ears that immediately had me at high alert. I bounded into the kitchen, and found Emily's patting Kim's back, who emitting soft gurgles now. Claire was sucking on her fingers, watching them with curious eyes, though I could detect a sense of dread that filled them as well.

Sensing someone's presence, Emily's eyes flitted upward eagerly, only to fall in disappointment and fury. "Rachel, what are you doing? I told you to stay in the airport, to wait for someone to get you!" Emily cried, standing erect so her fists were balanced on her waist.

I snorted, shaking my head at her, my silky hair bouncing in and out of my vision. "I don't give a fuck about what you told me to do. All I know is Paul might be in danger, so here I am. No one could have stopped me except for Paul himself…" I set my jaw, held snidely up in the air as I silently challenged either of them to contradict me.

Kim released a couple small hiccups, but Emily looked sullen, her eyes disapproving as she looked me over. Finally reluctantly, she addressed me, "I suppose nothing terrible happened yesterday?" Emily said tightly, and I nodded, forcing a smile at her.

"Yes, nothing too bad happened. I finally quit my stupid job, which was good." She finally loosened her stiff shoulders, releasing her thin lips into a smile of welcome with a disconnected sigh.

"Well, what's done is done," she admitted, and I winked at her. She gave me a wry look, but her forehead puckered slightly.

"Aw, come on, Em! What's wrong?" I asked, confused, and she relented, giving a tremulous sigh.

"It's… I'm afraid Paul may get angry that you went down here all alone and all…" she trailed off, and I snorted with disdain.

"Paul does not control me, he is not my boss. I can do whatever I damn well want," I said indignantly, and she looked like she wanted to oppose, but kept her mouth shut… good move.

"So," I finally asked, breaking the tense air, "what's happened?" Kim gave a shuddering breath, pressing a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop the tears spilling over.

"Jacob has called a meeting… they've been gone about an hour, but he did mention that the spawn, Renesmee they call it, has been born. The pack reckons there is going to be a terrible war raging on," she whispered. My stomach sank to my feet.

I sunk into a chair, but almost leapt up in alarm when Kim gave a furious yowl, throwing her fists into the air as she stood. "STUPID Bella and IDIOT Edward! Why'd they have to go and ruin our whole damn lives!" she screamed, slamming her foot against the chair leg.

It toppled to the floor, falling back to clatter on the floor. Emily rushed over, placing her gently hands on Kim's shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Kim!" Emily said supportively, but even I could detect the hint of doubt in her voice.

Kim pulled away from her, an absent look glazing over her eyes. "Is' okay," she mumbled, biting her lip as she went to the window, staring out at it glossily. She looked as if she was trying to protrude the pack from thin air, emerging from the woods with glorified beams.

Emily busied herself with cleaning, wiping down the already spotless kitchen as though it was masked in dirt, and I was playing with Claire, the exuberant toddler was a handful, and I required Kim's aide to just entertain her.

Finally, Emily let out a sigh of relief as she looked out the window, and Kim and I sprinted next to her, a feeling of relief escaping my lips as well.

They were all emerging from the forest, shocked and disgruntled looks on their faces, and Emily and I glanced at each other in confusion.

We all rushed to the door, throwing it open. Emily was first to run out, and Sam caught her, spinning her around in a circle as he kissed her adoringly. Kim was next, though her and Jared's reunion was less physical; they merely gazed into each other's eyes before he grabbed her, hugging her to his chest.

I walked out next, holding Claire and Quil and Paul ran to me, though Paul looked furious as he loomed over me. "Quiw!" Claire shrieked, throwing her body out of my arms, Quil catching her expertly.

And I turned to Paul, was shaking so hard, his eyes turning a flat black. "I thought that Emily told you to wait for me!" he hissed angrily, and I scowled at him.

"You, or Emily, do not tell me what I can and cannot do. I left because I wanted to be as close to you as possible, get it?" I snarled back, and he huffed, crossing his arms as we strolled into the kitchen. A pack meeting was obviously about to take place, so Paul looked down at me before bending, whispering in my ear,

"We'll discuss this later. For now, just listen." My anger seared again, and I pulled away from his arms.

"I can do whatever I damn well-" Sam cleared his throat, interrupting me, and with an angry mouth I kept silent, though I went to sit next to Emily and Kim instead. They had both of their wolves on either side of them, and were looking at me with a rolled-eyed kind of look.

"Okay, girls, the spawn… Renesmee, I mean, was born. We were going there to attack, but Jacob had some surprising… news for us," said Sam through pressed lips. Emily rubbed his arm, trying to soothe him. He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"He imprinted on her. On Bella and Edward's half-leech half-human thing. We cannot let a brother go through such… pain, we cannot kill an imprint," said Sam, though there was a wistful tone to his voice.

But I was frozen, tuning out Kim and Emily's reaction as I sat in my own seat. My brother, my baby freaking brother, had imprinted on a little… vampire thing? I couldn't believe it. Would if it bit him? What if… she hurt him? Would he die from her poison?

"Rachel? Baby, are you alright?" Paul had come up behind me, whispering softly in my ear. I swallowed back any sign of emotion, turning to him.

"What if she bites him, Paul? He could die from her fucking venom!" I cried, and he started shaking his head, pulling me onto his lap comfortingly.

"It's okay, baby. The thing… Renesmee, she isn't venomous," Paul said, fighting to keep his voice even. I sighed a little, even though I was mildly relieved that the thing wasn't poisonous, it was still depressing that Paul and Jake were like, mortal enemies. And he hated my sister-in-law. I winced at the idea. I did not want to have any connection with any vampires, and now look at everything!

I moaned, as I fell into Paul's arms, not paying attention to anything else as the meeting dragged on except for Paul's warmth and heartbeat, I didn't care anymore. It happened, and now it's done.

My body sagged in his arms as he stood and I climbed out of them, stepping onto the gravelly dirt road. He grasped my hand, and I leaned against his well built form.

"So, we need to talk," Paul said firmly, and I groaned pulling away from him.

"Really, Paul? You have to make this night worse than ever? Who cares, I paid a taxi driver to take me down here, nothing bad happened, and the reason I came down here was to be with you!" I shouted, throwing my arms up in the air in anger. He growled, seizing my arms and pulling me to a stop.

"Rachel, don't you get it? I love you so much, if anything bad happened to you… I wouldn't be able to handle it, I would die! I can't even think…" he turned his face away from me, a dark look passing it over it. I didn't soften, though, knowing I had to stand my ground.

"Paul, if I thought I was in too much danger, I would have stayed there. But I got safely into La Push, safely to Emily's house. I make my own damn decisions! You can't control me! I thought that you would know that, but I suppose not!" I yelled at him, and he growled, his body starting to shake.

"It doesn't matter, Rachel! I know you make your own decisions, but when your life may be on the line, you have to listen to me! You aren't aloud to go romping around like nothing is happening!" he yowled, and I stood there in enraged disbelief.

"I HAVE to listen to you? I am not ALOUD?" I screamed, advancing on him menacingly.

"Yes! Exactly, you do! Jesus lord, Rach! Why can't you be like Emily, who actually listens to what her damn wolf has to say?" Paul growled, and it was like a slap in the face.

"Well then, if you feel you want me to be someone I'm not, and never will be, I'll leave," I said my voice struggling to stop trembling. He looked shocked now, and swallowed, holding up his hands.

"Wait, Rachel, no! I didn't mean it like… I'm sorry, baby!" he tried to amend, but the damage was done.

"Paul, I can't be some girl that listens and nods to whatever her man says. I was never that girl, and you apparently can't deal with that. So… I'll just stay at Emily's. Maybe we… rushed into things. We shouldn't have moved in so soon," I said evenly, avoiding his eyes.

It was paining me beyond anything else I'd ever experienced to let these words leave my mouth, but I couldn't handle going home and sleeping with him now, after he said these things. I could barely look at him without feeling a rush of anger and pain.

He looked defeated when I turned around, but started blindly stumbling behind me. I whirled around, forcing all my fury into my voice, "Paul! Just go. Go away. I can't look at you right now!"

He looked like I just stomped on his heart, but I glared at him icily until he started backing away, the same crushed look on his face, until he met the forest's edge and turned, darting away.

I walked up the path back to Emily's house, attempting to hold back tears that were already starting to fall. I felt as defeated as the look on Paul's face as I knocked on their door. Emily answered, smiling when she saw me, but noticing my tears her expression fell into confusion and comfort.

"Rachel sweetie, what's wrong?" she cooed, letting me into the house and closing the door behind me.

"Can… can I stay here for a couple nights?" I asked, and she nodded, her face filling with understanding.

"Of course you can! We have a guest room… just follow me," she bumbled down the hall, and she let me enter a tiny room, the walls where a dull green and the only other furniture was a small bed, crammed against the wall. A tiny end table was against it, a white lamp and a clock set on it.

"This is one of the only rooms we have, but the other one is being renovated because Embry got a little… angry in it," she explained, but I smiled encouragingly at her.

"It's okay, this is perfect." I assured. She beamed before exiting the room, not asking any questions.

And for that, I was extremely grateful.

* * *

**Heyla! So basically I have up until chapter twenty-five done of this story, so I only need to write a couple more, let my beta edit them up, and hopefully have the story finished by the 19th of June! :(**

**Big thanks to Lorelei Eve, who is just amazing!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	21. I Don't Get It

**Chapter Twenty-One – I Don't Get It**

The pain and anger at Paul continued into the next few days, where I dodged all of his calls and escaped to my room whenever he came to Emily's. I could hardly believe him, it pained me so greatly to have to ignore him, but I still couldn't help and feel betrayed by what he said about me being more like Emily.

It was for that reason that I also tried to avoid her as much as possible. It was just awkward for me, knowing Paul would prefer someone like her. It also made me, for the first time in my life, feel self-conscious. I knew she would never be with Paul, she loved her Sam too much, but she was beautiful underneath her scars and could have probably gotten any man she wanted. I was surmising that Paul had definitely seen and noticed Emily before Sam even imprinted on her.

Though I would have been delirious thinking that Paul would leave me for anybody, much less Emily who was his alpha's imprint. Our imprint had him loving me more than anybody else in the world, and I knew he was merely frustrated when he had said those things about me…but they still were a knife through my heart.

"Rachel, Paul's here again, do you want to see him yet?" Emily whispered in a pitying way, standing in the door of her kitchen. I moaned, shaking my head vigorously. She nodded, and vanished out of sight.

"RACHEL! PLEASE!" Paul suddenly screamed, and I was shocked, not expecting that. And then I heard the firm slamming of the door, Emily telling Paul I was just not up for it yet, threatening to call Sam if he didn't leave me alone.

As Emily stepped through the kitchen I sent her a mystified look, and she smiled at me.

"It'll be alright sweetie, in the end," she said encouragingly. I groaned, shaking my head angrily.

"I don't get it Emily. Why are you doing this for me, warding off Paul and letting me have my time, when you're such a strong believer in imprinting?" I asked her. She paused in wiping the dishes, before drying her hands off and sitting across from me. She reached out and clasped my hand, taking a deep breath.

"Sam and I's relationship was not perfect from the start, Rach. Hell, it isn't even perfect now! But I warded him for two months, just like you're doing now, before we even got together. He didn't give me space to think or make a decision, he was so desperate. And one day he cornered me and pleaded me to take him, and I refused yet again, telling him to go to hell…" Her eyes welled with tears and I stood, going to the counter and grabbing a Kleenex box. She nodded her thanks before wiping her eyes.

"A-anyway, Sam couldn't take it anymore. He phased, just as he was cupping my cheek to plead to me again…his hand became claws that cut my face, and when he tried to get them out, he dug them deeper and dragged them down my body, right along my right side.

"I don't want the same thing happening to you, Rachel. You are my sister and I would never be able to accept myself again if you got hurt because I didn't warn you, didn't help…" her voice croaked and she was crying again. All grudges held against her vanished; all doubt from my mine about her being my true best friend was gone. I just hugged her, trying to convey all I felt into that one motion, the heart and gratitude and love.

The phone suddenly rang, making both of us jump. Emily, who was scrambling to pull herself together, glanced at the phone, "Rachel could…could you get that for me?" she begged and I smiled.

"Of course," I said, springing up and answering with a hello.

"OH MY GOD! FUCK!" Embry screamed into the receiver and my eardrum rang; I held the phone away from me as he continued to scream. Emily looked at me, startled, and then her face lit in understanding.

'Who is it?' she mouthed, and I replied Embry. She gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Give me the phone! Both Jared and Quill started screaming when they imprinted, though Quil did it in person…" she was grumbling now, but once the phone was in her hand she screamed into it, telling Embry to calm the hell down.

"Now who is it, tell me!" she ordered, and there was some heavy breathing before he answered.

"Kim's cousin, come just to live with her. Cassie King. Red hair. Beautiful blue eyes." His words came out slowly, as Emily put him on speaker. He groaned, and we could hear him banging his head on a wall.

"Embry- calm down, okay? Just go and get to know her. I don't care if moments ago you ran out of the room like a freak, just go. The sooner the better," Emily instructed, and every time he tried to come up with a but, she cut him off, ordering him to go and talk to her.

Finally and begrudgingly, he hung up. We relaxed into our seats and Emily looked thoughtful.

"Hmm. Kim told me about her cousin coming… poor girl is probably mad with curiosity about Embry already," Emily laughed, and I joined in. Just when our chuckles were subsiding, the phone rang and I picked it up again.

"Hello?" I answered evenly, but was annoyed at who answered.

"Hey, are you sure getting to know her right now is the right thing to do?" Embry asked in a concerned tone, and I growled.

"Just go, Embry!" I yelled, and he swallowed before hanging up again. Emily rolled her eyes upward, and we both exploded into exasperated giggles. When the phone rang again Emily and I just looked at each other, until I finally picked it up.

"Embry, if you don't get your ass down to that imprint of yours Emily and I will go and drag you down there! I am fighting with my imprint at the moment because he was being a cheeky, controlling bastard, but that doesn't mean we don't love each other! So go! She won't be able to resist!" I screamed into the phone, and there was dead silence which I took with a smirk, thinking my speech had worked.

"Rachel…" Paul's heartfelt voice caught me off guard and I almost dropped the phone, but my eyes were wide as hell. He had just heard my entire freaking speech.

"Rachel, I didn't mean anything I said… I promise you! Please, please forgive me!" he begged, and I paused, thinking, and when I realized all I said in my talk was true, I conceded. He whooped with relief, telling me he would be there ASAP.

Emily smiled at me as I looked at her, a curved smile on her lips. "You had your time yet, sweetie?"She whispered, and I took a deep breath, letting out a little sigh.

"Yeah… I guess," I whimpered, trying to let all he said go. But it clung to me, echoing in my head…why can't you be like all the other imprints?

I wiped all emotion from face as I entered the porch and found Paul standing, his whole face lighting up as he saw me. "Rachel!" he yelped, running up and squeezing the hell out of me before I could protest.

"Put me down, Paul! Right now!" I demanded, and he chuckled not relenting his grip.

"You can't tell me what to do, either Rachel," he joked, and I gasped angrily, banging on his chest with one of my fists.

"This is not the same thing Paul! Now just let me down!" I screamed, and he looked surprised, but let me down anyway. I met his eyes, seething, and he shrunk back a few steps.

"Rachel, I don't understand… I thought you forgave me?" he asked, honestly confused. I let out a slightly insane laugh, baring my teeth together in fury.

"You thought I automatically forgave you? Are you off your rocket! That's not how relationships work, Paul! We can't just magically make up and be happy again!" I screamed, and he paused, searching my eyes.

"But you said-" He started, but I sprang forward, interrupting him.

"It doesn't matter what I said over the phone, yes, I do love you very much, but I can't look at you without hearing what you said repeat in my head, and it hurts Paul! What if I told you I want you to be more like…like… FUCK! I can't even do that, Paul, because I would never want you to change! Why do you want me to change?" I yelled, fighting to keep tears back. My gut clenched as he remained silent.

"Well? Are you going to answer me? Or – just – sit - there?" I screamed, picking up rocks and throwing them at him with every word, feeling as if the world was perched on my shoulders. I closed my eyes, letting out a sob.

"Rachel… I was angry, okay? I didn't mean anything I said!" he pleaded, and I turned away from his face, unable to handle the begging look on it.

"But you still said them, Paul! You want to control me, have me do whatever the hell you want! That isn't me, I'm strong! I CAN MAKE MY OWN DAMN DECISIONS!" I shrieked, again throwing a rock at him.

He sat there, a stricken look on his face as sweat poured from his forehead. "I know," he finally whispered, and anger seared through me again.

"YOU KNOW? Then why did you get so freaking mad at me for coming down here? Huh? You DON'T order me to or not to do stuff! I was fucking worried about you, and you get mad at me for coming down because I couldn't stand not knowing if you were okay, if Emily was okay, if anybody was safe! Maybe it was unwise, but I didn't give a shit because you were all that mattered to me!" I cried, jabbing my finger at him desperately.

"Rachel, I said those damn things because we didn't know what was happening! What if Nessie had turned out be dangerous? A war might have broken out and you could have…could have gotten killed! If you were to die, then I don't know…" he looked lost, heartbroken, and I felt myself constricting, and when I spoke next it was in a lighter tone.

"Paul, that might be true, but you still can't think you own me. I can't be with someone who bosses me around, wants to make my choices for me and compares me other people! Do you know the pain I've gone through the pass couple of days?" I clenched my fists, and he swallowed, looking away from me.

"Yes, Rachel! I do! Whenever you're in pain of any damn kind, I feel it! I know! Do you think I already don't feel guilty as hell for doing this? And I told you, those things that I said aren't true! I don't want you to change… you are the most perfect, beautiful girl I have ever met… you are strong, and you are independent. And even though you are one stubborn ass, I love you so much and I can't stand you being mad at me!" he pleaded, dropping to his knees.

"Paul… the reason I decided to be with you, was because I thought you would never hurt me. Ever. How can I trust that you won't want to do that again?" I choked, closing my eyes in pain.

"Because you are the love of my life Rach! And everybody messes up, yes, but I know I screwed big time. I want you to forgive me, because it won't happen again!" he yelled, forcefully pulling my chin up so I would look him in the eyes. "Please Rach, forgive me. I will prove to you that I am not some jerk, I would never hurt you if I knew what the hell I was talking about. I was being an asshole and that is not the type of guy I am… so please?"

His eyes were black, a pool of depression and hopefulness, and I couldn't help but fall into them, all of the times we made love and told each other that we loved each other came rushing back. I felt his arms around me, all of the trust that we held before was so prominent…

"Okay… I guess we can try and… make things right again. But I'm warning you, one mess up, and I won't be able to be with you anymore. So you better watch it," I warned, wiping away tears that had been rolling down my cheek. He smiled, a bright smile that had my heart skip a beat as he grabbed me around my waist, pulling me in for a kiss that almost had me fainting.

The morning sun shone through the grimy kitchen window as I was stirring our pancakes for the morning's breakfast, Paul relaxing in a seat behind me after a few hours of phasing. It had been two months since we had the big fight, right after Ness was born, and a lot had happened since then.

Paul and I had had our little tiffs, but no big outbreaks had occurred. I had also met my brother's imprint over the phone, and she could talk! Already, apparently she was developing at an impossibly fast rate mentally and physically though her mental side was stronger by far. She actually, as the wolf girls had learned, was very kind and gentle.

Things had been unusually calm lately, no vampires or wars or fights, nothing. The boys could now patrol alone, and had merely three hour shifts.

As for Embry, he was making progress with Cassie, who turned out to be very outgoing and wild, the opposite of her cousin Kim. But she overheard Kim and Embry talking about the imprint and freaked. She spent three weeks avoiding Embry, but finally caved and started to spend time with him. Their relationship had slowly begun, but today the imprint couples were meeting with her; Embry said she wanted to get a taste of what being a Wolf girl was like.

I finished cooking the many pancakes, setting aside two for myself and stacking ten on another plate, packing on the butter, blueberry and maple syrup, applesauce, whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate chips onto Paul's ten with a wrinkled nose. "Paul, I do not know how you can stand to eat something so…disgusting," I choked, motioning to his plate.

He grinned, his mouth full of gushy food. I swallowed back the urge to upchuck, glaring at him. "Sick-o!!" I accused, pointing a finger at him accusingly. He laughed, swallowing his food quickly.

"Sorry babe. But you know that I love my food with as much food on it as possible. Fuck, you could probably put a baked potato and macaroni on here and I would eat it gladly!" he joked, and I shook my head.

"You're gross, you know it?" I sighed, wrinkling my nose again and squeezing my eyes as I took a bite of my own food, not wanting to make out too clearly Paul inhaling his.

Once we finished, I started tidying up, Paul following me around with a duster so whenever I turned around he claimed to be 'dusting the refrigerator' instead of checking that I didn't harm myself with Bleach. As eleven o'clock rolled around, I scrubbed the last spot on Paul's floor, and stood stretching as Paul scrambled to stow away the oh, so scary cleaning supplies as I slapped my gloves off with a roll of an eye: Overprotective idiot.

We gathered up our things and headed out, the sun was just visible behind light gray clouds which gave the sidewalk an unusually cheery look. Paul and I's looped hands swung lightly as we walked the short path, and he whistled 'Bust a Move' under his breath, one of his favorite, and my least favorite, sex songs. He says he likes the rhythm.

As we climbed the steps, we found we were the last to arrive. Of course, Kim and Jared shared a home now down the block, and Quil practically lived at Sam and Emily's now Claire was living there. Her mother was extremely supportive of Quil, whereas her father was a bit more hesitant. But seeing as Claire throws a terrible fit and screams whenever she's away from Quil for more than a couple hours, they couldn't deny the connection.

Claire's older sister Hanna was also there for the weekend, though she was up in her room, the ten year old was boarded easily by any adult talk.

Cassie smiled at us, not at all shyly, as we approached her and I found an instant liking to her. She seemed unafraid to approach either of them as she stuck out her hand, announcing her identity to us. And we sat down, me laying my head on Paul's sturdy shoulder.

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**Heyla my peoples! So hope you luvved the chapter and please review!!! ALL OTHER REVEIWERS ARE AMAZING! I luv you guys so much! **

**BTW, if you wanna see one of my wedding dress canidates, go to my profile, then to my photobucket account, and look at Rachel's and Kim's dresses, though I also love Emily's! My fianee Kim also loves story Kim's, so I might give that one to her!**

**As always, TwilightHeart21**

**PS, I once dated a guy who wanted to have sex for the song Bust a Move... I dumped him at once, and still never have had sex with a man for fear that they will turn out to be Mr. Bust a Move once again... LOL!**


	22. Once and For All

**Chapter Twenty-Two – Once and For All**

"Another one?" I gasped, shock soaking through me. Another wolf, the same age as Max, had phased that night, calling Paul out of the house at three in the morning and scaring me shitless. I had raced to Emily's, believing some leech was on the loose, only to find that stupid piece of information greeting me.

His name was Rickie Philips, and he was one of the weirdest people I'd ever heard of. Apparently, when he phased Collin and Brady were patrolling and when they heard his thoughts, they freaked and started howling in shock.

He was reportedly thinking of dung beetles, but they were rolling up piece signs, and crickets were attacking them, killing them slowly… Like I said, weird. He was totally livid about the dung beetles getting hurt, and didn't care about phasing, just set off to try and get the crickets or something. Personally, it confused me. But that was just I.

"Yeah, another one. Real, unfortunate too….the kid's a whacko," Paul said gruffly and I smacked his arm with a roll of my eyes.

"Stop! He can hear your thoughts!" I hissed, but he seemed not to care about this. He grabbed my waist, pulling me to him. He kissed me, pressing his plump lips to mine with passion, making me react with gust.

"I'll be thinking of this, babe. Not some random thing I said about a pup," breathed Paul into my ear making me shiver. I pulled away then, collapsing on top of our couch, Paul following my actions.

"I don't know a thing a about Max and this Rickie. Tell me about them," I asked, trailing my hand down his arm absentmindedly. He nodded, his finger making shapes on my cheek.

"Okay… Well Max has lived here forever, though he's a grade below Brady and Collin… in seventh grade I think. His mom is a bit off her rocker, I think. So she's in the hospital right now, his sister is taking care of him because his dad has been such a space case lately.

"And Rickie… well, his father left his mom, taking him, when he was like six months old. They were living at some island I think… Anyway, his dad died a year ago so he had to come back and live with his mom here in La Push," Paul informed, and I nodded in interest. He was able to have a boat load of information at his fingertips because of the pack mind, and I was interested in the pack life.

"Why did his dad leave?" I questioned, moving closer so I was settled on Paul's lap.

"I think his mom cheated on him. Disgusting, I think that cheating is the lowest thing somebody can do." Paul was scowling, and my heart almost leaped out of my chest. It was hammering so much; Paul noticed and looked at me in confusion.

'"What's wrong, baby?" he asked me in a concerned tone, but I shook my head, trying to convince him I was fine.

"N-nothing…uh, did I tell you that the third grade had a heart attack? I got her job for the year! And she was planning on retiring the next so hopefully it'll be permanent!" I said, but my voice was still small. Paul stroked my cheek, frowning.

"Rachel, baby, what's wrong? Whatever it is, you can just tell me…I won't judge you," he whispered, my stomach churning. _You already did_, I thought. But I knew then that it was time to come clear. It was time to get all of this off my back once and for all.

"Paul… I-I have to tell you something. When… before I really loved you, back when I didn't really want to be with you… I did something horrible. I cheated on you, Paul…" His face was totally emotionless for a moment, and then it crumpled. The raw pain in his eyes made me want to scream, but I stood where I was, tears falling down my face.

"How…how many times?" He asked, his tone was that of a dead person's. I winced at his words.

"Twice… but the first time was when I got really drunk, when I ran away that first night. So technically I wasn't cheating on you… But the second time was when I felt trapped! And I couldn't take it… I'm so sorry Paul! You have no idea how much I regret, even though we were hardly a couple at the time, it was still the worst decision I ever made. Please, I'm sorry, please forgive me!" I begged, clasping my hands together in a vain attempt to have him forgive me.

He was stiff, his back erect so tight I thought that a stick had been shoved up his ass or something. I swallowed, and then the frantic howls of two wolves rang through the air, rough and scared. I jumped about three feet in the air, but Paul remained where he was sitting.

"What is the bastards name?" he finally snarled, standing so fast from his seat I didn't see it. I blinked, confused.

"What? Paul, listen, I'm sorry… It was before I loved-" He shoved a hand up, shaking his head.

"No, I know. I don't blame you Rachel. I'm just fucking furious at this bastard that got you so fucking drunk, and then took advantage of you!" he hissed, and I looked at him in disbelief and confusion.

"Aren't you…angry at me?" I whispered shamefully, and he paused, staring me full on.

"No. I'm hurt and upset a bit, yes. But like you said, it was before we got together. That douche is who I'm really concerned about," he hissed, and shock overwhelmed me, that he was willing to blow this away.

"Paul-" I tried to say, not understanding why he was so accepting of this.

"Rachel, I told you: I don't care. I know from your emotions you feel terrible, I feel that too. I know that you're sorry, and I know you regret it. There's nothing else I need to know, babe," he said gently, coming to grasp my elbows carefully. And he gave me a deep kiss; I flung my arms around his neck, feeling his back up, his shirtless chest making me hot. But he pulled away, anger suddenly searing through his eyes again.

But that still doesn't make me want to not hurt that fucking piece of shit," he growled, and I sighed. I knew he wouldn't rest until I told him DBa's name, so I did, followed by where he lives because Paul threatened to find him on his own if I didn't.

He grabbed me, slinging me onto his back and racing out the door. I knew he was running at wolf speed, so I didn't dare open my eyes. Finally, he stopped and I peeked my lids open to find we were in front of the hotel.

"Paul, do not kill this man! I don't want you to be some sort of wanted man," said I in a warning tone, and he rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. "I'm serious Paul!" I shrieked in a shrill voice as I bounded in after him. He ignored me yet again.

"Where is this Dick guy?" Paul growled as he came up the front desk. The pretty woman I had spotted the last time I came stared up at him in fear and confusion, and then upon seeing me more confusion.

"Uh, may I ask why-" She stopped talking as DBa came out of the backroom, frowning.

"What's all this ruckus about? I was doing paperwork," he said in annoyed voice, apparently not spotting me next to Paul's gigantic frame.

"This man here wants to speak with you," said the blonde lady, whose nametag deemed her as Crystal.

"Who the hell are you?" DBa swallowed, looking up at Paul in nervousness. Paul stepped forward menacingly, his body quaking in anger.

"You…slept with my girlfriend!" he roared, and Crystal gave a gasp of shock, stepping forward.

"Oh no, no! I think you've got the wrong man, my husband would never cheat on me!" she said in a strict voice, though I could detect a certain ring of uncertainty in it. I started shaking my head, stepping forward so I was slightly in front of Paul, making his shakes start to lessen.

"No. I…am his girlfriend. I was upset over something Paul and I got into an argument about and ran over here… I met DBa a-and he offered me a beer. After that, I can't remember much. But I slept with him, that much I'm sure of…" Something crashed over me then… Crystal had referred to Dick as her husband.

"Oh my god! You…you dick! I didn't know you were married! How much of a bastard could you be?" I screamed at him, and he stood there like a gaping fish, not saying anything to his wife, who had tears streaming down her face, or Paul who had stepped forward again, raised his fist…

And wham, punched him square in the jaw. There was a sickening crunch as the bone broke and Crystal gave a squeak of terror as she sprinted out of the area, away from us all. The bellboy came running over, taking out his phone to probably call an ambulance. Paul didn't look back as he pulled me out of the hotel, as we walked home in silence.

"Sam's going to kill me," Paul groaned, pulling me to his side. And what had just happened vanished out of mind as we stepped into our home, and hopefully from Paul's mind too.

"Why?" I asked him, confused. He smiled wanly, kissing my cheek.

"Probably because I just heard like, three howls before we… left, and I didn't report in. That was obviously the howling of a new wolf phasing because it sounded so confused. He likes to have older wolves there, so I'd better get going… I love you!" he called, and I followed him out the door.

"I'm actually going to go Emily's, we're planning an intervention for Kim's smoking habit," I said, and he laughed, grinning.

"Jared will love you guys," he smiled, and then kissed me another time before taking off for the forest.

It was getting colder, and my mind was tackled with worry because I had had to have a lesson plan ready by next week for my new class. I knew it was a bit mean for me to be so excited for a lady's heart attack, but if it meant I got a job, then it was alright with me, as long as she lived!

Emily and Kim were already there, Claire toddling around in a playpen screaming her head off for Quil. "Claire honey, he'll be back in a second! He's just doing some wolf stuff with Uncle Sam and Cousin Leah and Cousin Seth! We're gonna have two new wolves, sweetie! And just when Rickie finally phased back, which is lucky… Oh hi Rachel!" she turned, smiling once she noticed me.

"Claire grinned toothlessly once she saw me, reaching her chubby arms out for me to hold her.

"Get me out so I can see my Quiw!" She screamed, pleading with big eyes that could make a polar bear melt.

"Claire sweetie, Quil can't see you. He's not here right now," I spoke gently, but apparently that was the wrong thing to say because she started wailing. At that moment, Cassie came in, her red hair bouncing behind her.

Upon seeing Cassie, Claire again immediately stopped crying, reaching her arms up, though instead of asking for Quil she merely requested for Cassie to hold her.

Collin, Brady, Max, and Jared came through the door then, and Kim launched herself at him, beginning to kiss all over his face.

"Who – is – the new – wolf?" she asked between kisses, her legs locking around his waist. He laughed, gently removing her.

"Two. It was a double phasing, like when Leah and Seth phased. These two were breaking up, apparently, and they got angry and phased at the same time, started attacking each other. They were pretty pissed off and now they're freaking out… it's really awkward for them," he smirked. Kim slapped his arm playfully.

"Stop laughing at other's people's awkward situation!" she giggled and he rolled his eyes goofily.

"So what're their names?" Cassie inquired from where she was gently rocking Claire.

"Uh, Amanda Gem, it's gonna suck having a girl back in, and Louis Jones-Barnett. They're a grade younger than Collin and I's," Brady noted, Collin nodding.

I was surprised that there were so many young ones phasing, and wondered why. There had to be a leech to trigger the phasing, and the Cullen's had already done that… there had to be more vampires coming. Was it the Cullen's doing? Was there something my brother's pack hadn't informed us of yet?

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**Here's ch 22! I have all but two chapters left to type, so hopefully I'll have everything wrapped up soon!! Basically, reviews get the next chapter! **

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	23. It'll Get Easier

**Chapter Twenty-Three – It'll Get Easier**

Saying that I was nervous was an understatement. It was my first week as a teacher and tiny students were filing into the room, glancing at me with wide eyes. I glanced at my schedule, completely filled out with my first month's lesson plan, and then at my class list, twelve boys and eight girls.

I had half of the third grade in my room, the other half belonging to Marie Hansel, who was about five years older than me and had identical twin boys in my class, Kyle and Kevin. She was very sweet, had lent a huge helping hand and gave me tips on how to handle the kids.

As the clock approached eight fifteen, I walked to the front of the room, smiling warmly at them all. "Alright class! Settle down please! Time to face me!" I called, waving my hand. They all giggled at me before slowly trooping to their small desks, sitting in them with a plop. Once they were all quiet, I stepped forward.

"Hello class! Mrs. Howard has taken some personal time and will not be coming back to school, so I'm your new teacher! My name is Ms. Black, and I love the color purple! Why don't, as a way to get to know each other, go around the room and say our names and something about ourselves!" I said cheerfully, trying to bring the energy level in the room up. A small girl raised her hand, and I checked my seating chart to see her name was Hilden.

"Yes, Hilden?" I called and she smiled shyly.

"Why aren't you married yet, Ms. Black?" she asked curiously, and several people around her nodded. "You look like you're twenty-five!" she exclaimed, and I blushed.

"Well, actually, I am a fresh graduate, twenty-two. And I'm in a relationship but we aren't… quite ready for marriage… Yes Rocky?" I had glanced at my seating chart again.

"Do you think that our old teacher is dead? I hope so because she was really cranky. You seem nicer than her but maybe that's because you're prettier," he said, slightly rambling making me flustered.

"Well, she um, she's not dead. Which is a good thing, Rocky, not a bad thing. But she's not coming back due to, like I said, personal issues. Now, if Nina could start out with going around the room! I'll take questions later, okay?" I said in a strict yet warm voice, and all hands went down as Nina stated her name and her favorite animal (a dolphin).

The rest of the day went without too much problem; I learned most of my students names with only a couple slip ups and I strode through the day with confidence. It was highly unusual for them to hire me on account of my young age, but they had been desperate enough.

At lunch I collapsed into a chair next to Marie in the teacher's lounge, rubbing my head. "I cannot believe I have to do this every day now… it's the best thing in the world!" I said, laughing with her.

"Aw, darling, it'll get easier the more respect they gain from ya. And remember, when you talk to my Kevin, look him straight in the eye otherwise he'll tell a lie so bad you'll be able to smell the stink of it ten miles away," she said, using hand gestures to emphasize her point. I raised my eyebrows at her, but smiled anyway.

"Okay… that helps, thanks," I mused, and she elbowed me playfully.

"That Rocky sure is a handful, is what my Kyle tells me. He got a heart full of frogs and a mouth that runs a mile a minute so watch out for that one. Kevin likes that Sorority girl, though I don't got a clue about what kind of name Sorority is. I don't know, maybe her mama got knocked up in one or something along those lines, you know? Me, I just named my kids something normal. Kyle for my daddy, he died in a accident when I was just thirteen! Thirteen can you believe it? It was terrible for me cause I was so dang young!

"Anyway, I named my other boy, Kevin, cause there is a name that is normal. But then those damned Jonas brothers had to come along and-" Marie's babble was a constant flow of noise next to me as I thought, and all I had to do was nod when there was a pause in her talk, agreeing with whatever she said.

When the day ended, I said goodbye to my new students with a smile and nod of a head before collapsing against the wall.

I finished organizing all my stuff, double checked the lesson plan for the next day, and headed out.

I arrived at Emily's to find her waiting excitedly, bouncing on her toes as she appraised me. "How'd it go? Was everything alright?" she asked, and Claire grinned at me widely.

"Auntie Emiwy told me you were teaching today!" she shrieked, jumping out of Emily's arms and landing with a thud onto the floor.

"Claire! You can't do that, Quil will kill me if you so much as get a bruise!" she cried, picking her up again. Somehow, Claire twisted around so she was upside down, Emily clutching to her legs with en exhausted look.

"Looks like you had your hands full today, Emily," I grinned, and she shot me a look. She started to settle Claire in a high chair, and she protested with a huge yelp, trying to escape with violent thrusts of her body.

"Yes, I did! The only one she seems to respond to is Cassie, besides Quil of course… Anyway, how was your day?" she sighed, smiling at me hesitantly.

"It was wonderful! Oh god, the students weren't too bad, and, well, it's just as I dreamed! So, how are you on the job front?" I added, to be polite. Emily frowned as she got a cup down for Claire, screwing the tight on tight and placing it on the table. Claire screamed at it, swinging her little fist so it knocked to the floor with a clash. Emily groaned, picked it up again with a firm scolding to Claire.

"Well, I'm going to start being the afternoon nanny for Mrs. Weber starting in a week, since their older daughter Angela has graduated. Her two sons seem nice, so hopefully that will work out for a little bit. When Claire goes into pre-school next year I think I'll be taking on a job as a fulltime nanny for another family," she said tiredly, "But I'm praying very, very hard that none of the kids I get are like Claire. I love her, she's my baby niece, but she is the toughest kid to keep up with ever!" I smirked at her, before looking around, suddenly noticing the absence of at least two or three wolves that were usually splayed around the room.

"Hey, where are the wolves?" I questioned as I propped myself on the table, my sleek hands supporting my chin. Emily waved off my question, shrugging.

"Jake called them, said he wanted to speak with all of them. I think it's because he's moving with the Cullen's, probably is trying to convince Seth and Leah to go back to Sam's pack… Speaking of, we got another one! Alex Billson… With Jesse phasing a couple days ago, that makes six new wolves! It's ridiculous!" she said, trying to wrangle the empty cup out of Claire's claws.

"Come on, Claire-bear! Let go!" she pleaded, looking like she was about to be rolled over by a truck. I smiled at her in a pitying way before standing up. I pulled up my sleeves as I took deep breath, before letting out a shriek like wail.

Claire was so startled; she dropped her cup with a dumbstruck expression. I quickly snatched it away from her; though she didn't notice because she was too busy giving Emily a 'what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-this-bitch' look, while Emily was trying to control her laughter.

"Emiwy, whah is wong wit her?" Claire yelled in a confused tone, eyeing me suspiciously.

"No one is sure, Claire-bear!" Emily sang jokingly and I stuck my tongue out at her, settling in my seat as she scooped Claire out of her seat, nuzzling her affectionately.

"Time for a nap, sweetheart!"She cooed, and Claire frowned but didn't protest as her eyelids drooped. Emily disappeared into a side bedroom before reappearing a moment later, grinning.

"The one good thing about Claire's energy is she wears herself out so easily, she hardly ever complains about naps! Weirdest kid I ever met, I swear!" she chuckled before collapsing into a chair next to me.

"Hey Emily, Rachel!" Kim called as she entered the room with a soft smile, tugging in her huge backpack with her. Cassie was following her, though she was only clutching a small binder to her chest a pencil stuck in her ear. They were both in Jared's grade, him, Collin, Brady, and the pups being the only ones still going to school, though I guessed they skipped the later part of the day because of this meeting.

"Hey girls!" Emily greeted, "I was just about to take some cookies out of the-" Quite suddenly, Emily was interrupted when the door flung open, and the imprinted wolves came blindly stumbling in the room, sprinting to their imprints and holding them tight.

Fear clenched my stomach into a knot as I looked at Paul; a crazy gleam was in his eye as he hugged me, planting kisses over my face repeatedly.

"CLAIRE! WHERE IS CLAIRE?" Quil hollered wildly from the middle of the room, and Emily managed to point to the bedroom amazingly considering the death grip Sam had her in.

"WHAT the hell is going on?" Kim finally screeched, pounding on Jared's chest for him to let her go. Finally, they let us pull back a little, but still had us enclosed in her arms. Every one of them sat down in chairs, including Quil who was holding a fast asleep Claire.

"The…Volturri…" Sam finally spoke, his voice low and frightened. I was shocked to find him speaking like this, when normally he was Mr. Big Strong Alpha. The fear in me overtook my body, why would he speak like that?

"Who is the Volturri?" Cassie asked loudly, trembling in Embry's arms. She obviously had noticed the same thing with Sam that I had.

"The Cullen's just told us…They're like the vamp royalty. They have a huge army; kill anyone in their way with ease. They heard about Nessie, they think she's a danger to the world, so they're coming here to terminate her." Jared whispered in a broken voice, turning his head so he didn't have to look at Kim.

"What are we going to do?" I asked then, addressing Paul who was clutching onto me with such force I was almost choking.

"We cannot let our brothers, our sister, and one of their imprints be simply sentenced to death. We cannot stand by and let our town be overrun with the deadliest vampires ever. We must fight," Sam said, his voice quiet, daring anyone to object. And someone did… Emily.

"NO! No, I won't let you!" she screamed, stomping her feet angrily. Sam was surprised by her sudden outburst; Emily was usually the cool and collected imprint, always defending their decisions and talking other people out of rash rants.

"Emily, we have to…" Sam abruptly shut up as he saw the evil glare emitting from Emily's eyes.

"I don't care Sam! I will not be able to handle dealing with you in that kind of terrible danger!" she screamed, tears running down her face in thick droplets, and then she whirled around, she looked at us all, "I'm sure they all agree with me!" she yelped, pointing at us with a curling finger.

Paul's arms became restraints as I struggled to get up; though Cassie managed to get free I saw Jared was holding back Kim too much. Sam and Embry could only watch helplessly as their girls stood there, arms crossed with a definite posture.

"I'm with Emily!" I finally called, giving up trying to escape. Kim nodded, also giving up.

"Me, too!"

"So boys, choose… us, or some stupid war?" Emily growled menacingly, and none of the guys replied. "Well?" she screamed crazily, whipping her head around.

"Emily, we are fighting for you. If we don't stand our guard with our brothers, they may die, and they could come here and kill us anyway. If they see our numbers they may stop and we can get a chance at stopping this whole thing… please Emily, my girl, accept that we need to do this. We _are_ doing this!"

At Sam's pleading and yet strict words, Emily seemed to fall into a pile of goop, losing her tough composure and sinking to the floor, sobbing. He rushed over scooping her up and disappeared down the hall, whispering comfortingly to her.

Despair wound its way through my brain, curling around my thoughts and emotions and making me gulp, air getting caught in my throat as the realization hit me… Paul might die.

* * *

**Heyla, So I realized that to get this done in time, I'd have to post a chapter in three-five days! So expect faster updates! :D **

**Also, please review cuz it'll really make me feel better. My sis is getting her first chemo treatment today and I need cheering up! **

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	24. Waiting

Chapter Twenty-four – Waiting

* * *

My stomach was swathed in fear and pain, loathing of all vampires, the vampires who put him in danger and possibly could take him away from me. Emily, next to me, was sobbing painfully as Sam tried to pull away from her, she was crying in anguish and fury, clinging to him with all the might in her.

Finally, he pulled away, going to stand with the un-imprinted wolves and Jared, who Kim was sending tremulous pleads in her eyes, her lower lip trembling with fear, though she stayed strong, not letting a single tear fall down her face.

Cassie, on the other hand was rigid, not letting a single emotion play on her face as she clutched onto Embry's back. As he pulled away, her fingers curled, but she let him go, he backing up slowly to stand in the line, like an executioners…we were sending them off to their deaths.

At the thought, a single tear floated down my cheek, and I gave him a hug, everything in me screaming to not let go! Not let go of him because he may never come back, and the thought had me reeling, my stomach churning so painfully I cried out in vain.

I could barely let him pry my hands off his shoulders, letting me stumble back to Emily numbly, reach out a hand to pull her back, into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, but they felt empty; like there was nothing in them at all, like I was holding a dead body.

And Claire and Quil were last. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she seemed to understand that her wolf was in danger; therefore she was kicking and screaming in a terrible tantrum, sobbing and hanging onto his neck with odd strength.

Finally, Cassie approached, holding out her arms, and Quil handed her over. Claire fell into them, still sobbing but calming down gradually as Quil blew her kisses, smiling comfortingly at her.

"Claire-bear, Quilly will be back so soon! Just wait!" he sang, reaching out his hands as if he was longing to hold her, which I'm sure he was. Finally, they all reached the forests' edge, and turned into the trees, disappearing at once.

And Claire was screeching again, twisting and turning in Cassie's arms and almost tumbling to the ground. We rushed in the house, and Emily stopped crying, slowing her emotions to hiccups only as she got a cup of juice for Claire, also getting some cookies.

"It is okay, Claire. They… they will be back. We know it," Cassie spoke quietly, bouncing Claire on her knee. Her back was ramrod straight, and I sighed as I sat next to Kim, who had her head buried in her arms.

"We have to – to be positive guys. With that last girl phasing, Jill, that makes a total of seventeen wolves, plus the Cullen's and then adding all those extra bloodsuckers, we have over thirty on our side! That's a good thing!" I tried and energize them, and Emily forced a small smile at me though that's the only response I got to my little pep talk.

Truthfully, I felt about as hopeful as a potato, but I tried not to show it. I had always been the strong one, and I didn't want that to change, I wanted to, if anything, try and give others hope.

"We have to stay distracted, Rachel! We have to! I'll go find some cards and we can play some Go Fish or King's Corner or something," breathed Emily. She disappeared, and then returned moments later with a pack of cards, waving them around like they were a grand prize.

We played Go Fish for a while with Claire, just so she would have something to concentrate on. Once she fell asleep, though, we started playing various games, trying to keep our minds off of our wolves. We came up with complicated, imaginary rules that made the games long and almost impossible to win.

But it was worth it to not be able to think of him, think of the danger he might be in and the fact that I could lose him forever, in one moment, one strike of a kill, so thoughtless and easy for a leech to do…

And then, loud upset howls hurtled through the air, right to our ears, and Cassie almost dropped Claire, who she was changing the diaper of. Kim let out a half-scream before her eyes rolled into her head, and she fainted, dropping off her chair with a thud.

Emily and I, however, sat frozen, our hands clutching the cards in our hands as our knuckles turned white. Our eyes met, and she mirrored my petrifying fear, her pupils wildly swiveling in her sockets as she ground her teeth together.

Finally, Cassie strode to Kim, rousing her until she was able to help her onto her seat, whispering that it would be okay. Kim sat miserably, her head buried under her arms.

Everything fell apart after that, we basically detached ourselves from one another, each lost in our own little world. Hour after hour passed, until it was nearing dark, and Emily suddenly sprang up, rushing to the sink before she puked, her shoulders shaking as she started sobbing, large rasping gasps that made her seem oddly small.

And seeing her, my best friend, like that, made tears sting my eyes as I wiped my brow, and then I couldn't take it anymore. I burst into loud sobs, so depressed I felt like killing myself right then, right there.

And then, a new chorus of howls broke through the air, but these were different. They weren't angry, they were… happy almost! In fact, they sounded triumphant.

Cassie shot upwards, out her seat, and Emily gasped as she ran to the window, peering out of it with excitement. "Maybe they won!" she squealed, leaning so far against the glass that her nose was pressed against it.

I swallowed as I came to stand next to Emily, my heart hammering painfully in my chest as my eyes greedily scanned the forest; waiting…

And then, several blurs swished across the lawn, so fast that for a moment I thought it was a vampire, but when the door banged open only a second later, Sam came tearing in, and Emily leapt to him, crying out in shock and relief as he swept her up, planting kisses all over her face.

The rest of the imprinters followed, and my fear grew as still Paul didn't appear… and then, he was the last one in, and I was barely aware that I was moving toward him because I could only feel one thing: the love and gravitating pull towards him.

He caught me in his arms and I smiled, so happily he grinned back, and then we were kissing, kissing so hard I was losing breath, my hair draping lazily over my shoulders as he started to leave.

We barely got to the edge of the forest before I exploded, ripping his shorts off and unpeeling my own shirt, giving him another kiss as trailed his hands down my thighs…

I could hardly bare to let Paul leave my side anymore, it was tough as hell seeing him still have to go to patrol every night and knowing that there was a chance those deadly vampires would come back.

The thought made all actions of mine impulsive, which was so unlike me Paul began to worry. He hated to leave my side as well, frightened that I might, on a flip of the wind, decide to drive to Port Angeles for new silverware.

On a better note, I was warming up to my students quite a bit, and they were hopefully warming up to me as well. I loved teaching them so far, there were only a few troublemakers, Rocky being one of them, and Marie usually gave me advice on how to deal with some of those things.

Despite her sometimes bad grammar and rough demeanor, she was rather a caring person who also loved her kids, including the ones she taught, to death and only wanted to help out anybody who'd ask.

La Push Elementary was sometimes a furiously small school; so small that some classrooms had to be split in two with a blanket, and I ended up sharing one with a nasty man who yapped at his poor fifth graders constantly.

When I was done with the day, Paul usually picked me up around four o'clock, and we went home, had sex two or three times, and he helped me correct some of his papers, though I had some doubt about whether or not he actually understood how you got the answers, but he just looked at my answer key and was helpful that way.

I kissed his palm now, and he grinned back as handed over the last stack of papers, fully corrected and neatly marked with stars or a 'You did a great job!' sticker. We both stood, stretching out our sore muscles from the cramping hours we just spent, moaning slightly with stiffness.

"What're we having for dinner?" Paul asked me as we entered the kitchen. I sighed, looking through my fridge with boredom.

"How about I just pop in some pizzas? I'm too tired to cook and it's getting late anyway," I said, taking a small one with pepperoni and another with basically, well, everything for Paul.

I set the stove to 450 degrees before sidling up to Paul with a wry smile, settling into his lap and trailing my ass along his lap sexily, fluttering my eyelashes in an attempt to flirt. He grinned widely, an evil glint shining his eye as he got the message, his head stretching down so our lips were pressed together, our bodies molding against the other in perfect shape, like Ying and Yang.

"Do you ever realize how perfect we are for each other?" I cooed to him, and he kissed my neck, sucking gently on it making me shiver with delight.

"Yes, I do. Every single time we make love to each other, I perfectly understand that we are the two people on earth that are most meant for each other!" he chortled, planting kiss after kiss in that same spot, his tongue running over with exuberance making me itch with excitement.

DING! The oven timer made me jump in shock, looking around as I tried to catch my breath, breathing deeply. Paul was obviously trying not to laugh, but broke through eventually, shouting out loud guffaws of amusement.

"Shut it, Walker!" I growled, eyeing him with a small scowl. He smirked, and before I could protest pulled me into his warm lap, kissing my forehead gently.

"Okay, Ms. Mood Swing!" he hissed playfully, picking me up bridal style and swishing me around. I couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped my lips as he threw me up in the air, catching me expertly around the waist and pulling me to his chest.

"One day, you will drop me!" I teased, sticking my tongue out as he set me on my feet. He looked amused by the whole idea, raising his eyebrows at me as if I'd just confessed my life goal was to sell pineapples on a Missouri interstate.

"Very funny, Rach. Like I would actually drop you!" he snorted, giving me a kiss on the nose, squeezing my waist tightly so I smiled, leaning back to take in his chiseled features, the way his jaw line was etched so perfectly on his face I bit my lip from the tiny orgasm that was going to arrive any moment.

"Paul, do you realize that you're the hottest man, wolf, and mythical creature to ever walk this earth?" I whispered, and he smirked, pressing our foreheads together.

"Yes, I do know that!" he exclaimed proudly and I aimed a kick at him which he avoided quickly, chuckling. "But I was wondering if you knew that you are the most gorgeous, special, brightest, smartest, beautiful, person in this universe, in the history of forever and ever and ever?" he whispered, and I got caught up in his stare, sucked in by their depth and shine, sparkling with raw emotion.

Our foreheads and noses were pressed together, turning sideways so our mouths were only inches apart, a few short seconds of coming together… They brushed together, so his skin was unattainable in the most delicious way…

DING! The stove timer made me jump with such force that the table gave a little leap when my legs bumped against it, and I hissed, stomping over to the stove and tugging the pizzas out with irritation. "FUCKING oven!" I yowled as Paul erupted in yet another fit of laughter.

* * *

Heyla! So I am sorry because I know I said I'd update sooner, but my computer was being extra shitty and wouldn't dowload the document! So here ya go, and now I can PROMISE you with all my heart an update in at least four days, maybe three depending on the reivews!

BTW, five chapters left to post, and then the epilogue! :( I'm really sad cuz even though this isn't my first story, this is definitely my baby!

As always, TwilightHeart21


	25. Yes

Chapter Twenty-five – Yes

My swishy, flowery dress swept beneath my feet and I wrinkled my nose in distaste as I strapped my high heels on. "Emily is my best friend, but she has the most awful taste, ever." I whined to Paul, who gave me a pitying look.

"I'm sorry, babe… but at least you didn't take it as bad as Leah did when she saw what she was wearing… Good thing Emily asked Sue to bring it to her, I have a feeling she would have blown up if not for her mom!" Paul smiled, and I glared at him.

"Don't be so mean, Paul. I feel sorry for Leah… she has to stand by and watch the man she was in love with get married to her former best friend. She's amazing for doing that, no matter her attitude. So shut it before I shut it for you," I warned with a growl, and he held his hands up in defense.

"Sorry, sorry! I was just saying that she didn't take it well is all," he defended, and I let up with a warning glance.

"Sorry babe, I'm just really stressed. Cassie, Kim, and I have to watch Leah and make sure she doesn't ruin the big day, and don't you dare tell anybody that because it was a private agreement!" I said with even more warning in my tone, but as I stood, I smiled blowing him a little kiss.

"How do I look?" I giggled, and Paul gave me a fake, enthusiastic smile with two thumbs up.

"You look breathtaking… and your dress is even more amazing!" he smirked and I groaned, going to stand in front of the mirror again. Since Cassie, Leah, Emily's sister Lisa, and I were going to be bridesmaids, and Kim the Maid of Honor, we were being forced into these dresses that Emily absolutely adored.

But Emily does not have a very good eye for fashion. In fact, her style is so atrocious I almost threw up when I first saw what we had to wear. The dresses are light pink with a lacy, flowery pink covering. The dresses make you look like you have a flat chest, and the ruffles scratched uncomfortably against your skin.

We had to carry pink daisies down the aisle, and the dress weighted about a ton. I don't know why Emily wanted to torture us. And her wedding dress was gorgeous, so I knew she had to have some idea that our dresses were bad…

"Ready to go?" Paul said, standing tall and hot in his tux. I beamed at him as I joined his side, proud that he was willing to wear it. Paul wasn't always on board for the whole dressing up thing, but I edged him onto it slowly and he finally decided he'd do it for Sam and Emily.

Paul dropped me off at Sam and Emily's place, since I had to help do hair and make-up there. The guys were all at the beach, where the happy couple would be getting married later today. I walked in without knocking, trudging to the kitchen where Emily was sitting in a chair, leaning forward slightly with her eyes closed as Kim applied some make-up to her face. Cassie was doing a very disgruntled Leah's hair, the rest of their hair being done.

"Rachel! Oh thank god, I thought you were going to be late!" Emily cried as Kim finished, running over to give me a hug. I squeezed her back, kissing her cheek in congratulations.

"I would never be late for this, sweetie! Now, have someone get over here to do my hair!" I demanded, sitting in a chair as Cassie rushed over, picking up a brush. Emily started inspecting herself in a mirror full length mirror propped against the kitchen wall (one which had never been there before), twirling around nervously as she smoothed out her dress.

The bodice was white, slanted down so it made her waist look tiny and porcelain. Her boobs were cupped to make them look like they were a size C, when Emily was barely a B. The material looked like silk, but that wasn't the eye catcher. The bottom part of the dress is fit for the slanted bodice, a single pink flower on the right side where it was raised up. The rest was a scrunched bunch of netting, bunched at her feet to form a five-foot trail. The entire effect was stunning, and you could barely notice her scars.

Emily slipped on her petite white flats, her feet were almost child size at a five…or at least they were in comparison to me, at a nine. "Okay, all done! Now, for your make-up!" Cassie cheered as she grabbed eyeliner, approaching me. I swallowed in fear at the look on her face, it was fierce.

Everyone but me was ready; Kim was now prepping Emily, talking lowly to her so that she stopped fluttering around, standing still and taking deep breaths. "It's okay, remember your mom and sister are all ready, and Claire, Hanna, and Amelia are too!" Kim soothed, and Emily nodded, though she still looked slightly worried.

"But what if he leaves me? What will happen then? This was never easy and…and I just can't…" she looked close to tears now, and then, something happened that shocked us all. Leah stepped forward, grabbed Emily's arm and tugged her into the hall. We all glanced at each other, worried what Leah was saying…

But when they came back in five minutes later, Emily was beaming, hugging Leah around the waist, and Leah had a tiny smile on her face as well, something so rare I'd only ever seen it one other time. At our stares, though, it was replaced with a deep scowl, and she placed her hands on her hips, looking at all of us with determined dislike.

"Are we gonna go, or what?" she snapped, gesturing to the door. We cleaned up the rest of our things, made sure our dresses were picked up so they wouldn't drag on the ground, and helped Emily outside, piling into two different vehicles.

When we got to the beach, there was a gigantic tent set up next to a platform, where they would be exchanging vows and two small tents on either side of the big one. The guys were on the one to the right and the girls the left. We marched over, and Emily's mother and sister came sprinting over to us, throwing their arms around Emily with zest and crying softly.

"I can't believe both of my daughters will be married!" Mrs. Young sniffled as we made our way back to the tent. Claire was in the corner with her older sister Hanna and younger sister Amelia, all of them dressed in their flower girl costumes.

"Okay everyone, TEN MINUTES until show time! Get going! Everyone ready?" Cassie screamed as she strode around Emily, and we all took our shoes off, standing barefoot in the sand. It was a Quileute tradition to get married barefoot. Emily smiled in a lopsided way as she stepped out of the tent to her dad, who grinned as he took her arm, patting her hand. Emily's mother blew her one more kiss before exiting the area to take her seat.

The boys came next and we all got with our respected imprints, smiling at each other in excitement. Claire came up the aisle first, her chubby fist grabbing flowers and throwing them at the ground. Hanna was right behind her, also throwing flowers though with a bit more grace, also pulling little Amelia in a red wagon.

The young ring bearer came next, Mathew who was Claire's younger brother, though he could surprisingly walk on his own, considering he was about one a half.

Kim and Jared were next, since they were the Maid of Honor and Best Man, followed by Emily's sister Lisa and her husband Todd, and then Paul and I were up, walking down the aisle to Sam, who looked like he was going to burst with happiness, which would have been unusual since he isn't the most smiley guy around, but today was a day everyone would be smiling about.

Leah was next with Quil, who was grinning from ear to ear, though he was looking at Claire, who was beaming with excitement. Leah seemed slightly annoyed and horrified she was going through with this, but forced a smile, even as whispers erupted around us as she walked out. And last Cassie and Embry, who were clinging to each other so tightly it looked like they were slightly horny.

And then, Emily and her father stepped into view, and everybody gasped as the sun glinted against her, you could barely notice her scars as her stunning beauty was making you look at the tremulous smile that showed her glorious teeth.

She was shining, completely in her element, she practically speed walked down the aisle to Sam, who caught her easily in his arms, wringing her hands with a grin.

As they said their vows, I couldn't help but look at Paul, who had his attention focused on them, a misty look covering his eyes. I squeezed his hand, smiling at him reassuringly, and he grinned back at me.

When the minister announced them man and wife, they kissed, throwing their bodies into it amongst several wolf whistles via the pack, and mounds of clapping. When they pulled apart, they were still grinning as we melted into the reception, music started to play and everyone began to dance, led by the couple of the day.

I swayed in Paul's arms, burying my head in his chest, taking in his precious scent and reminiscing in his warm smile, which beamed down at me making me feel quite radiant.

I jumped when I heard a commotion behind us, and Paul moaned, before hissing. I turned, and my eyes widened as I saw Alex, one of the new wolves, peering over Claire's father, staring at Hanna with wild admiration. I was shocked, because I knew that look. He had just imprinted on Claire's older sister.

I rushed over there, thankful that Emily hadn't noticed yet…I didn't want any drama to interrupt this day for her. "What's going on?" I hissed, frowning at them all. Hanna was trying to get around her mother, who was clinging onto her with a fearful look in her eye.

"No, I will not, NOT lose two of my babies to this imprinting crap!" Lisa snarled, but her voice was trembling, and tears were gathering in her eyes.

"Mommy, I wanna see him! NOW!" Hanna whined, before ripping herself way from Lisa's clutches and running around her father, launching herself into Alex's arms. Alex looked frightened at the look on Todd 's face as he stared at Hanna in Alex's embrace, so he set her down gently, which she frowned at, clinging to his leg.

"Baby, come here! Come over here to your father now!" he yelped, pointing to himself with desperation. She stayed where she was, shaking her head vigorously and wrapping her arms more tightly around Alex's leg.

"No, I wanna be with him!" she hissed. Alex was blushing now, so he bent down so she and he were level.

"Hanna, come on. Go be with your parents…please?" he pleaded, and she paused, loosening her grip, before, disgruntled, she trudged to stand next to her parents.

"Fine, but I am only doing this for Alex!" she huffed, keeping her eyes on him. Lisa looked like she was about to cry, while Todd fumed at his daughter.

"Hanna, you are our daughter and will listen to us!" he ordered, and she stared at him in question, confusion lingering her face.

"Daddy, I know I'm your daughter! Duh! But I still wanna hang out with Alex! He was telling me about all the stuff I'll get to do when I get older!" she beamed, and Lisa loosened, forcing a smile at Hanna.

"That's fantastic, sweetie!" she said through her teeth, but she wasn't meeting anybody's eyes. Todd stormed away, mumbling curses under his breath as Hanna fell into Alex's arms again, showing him that she recently lost one of her front teeth.

"Let's get out of here...I hate drama," I mumbled, eyeing Alex disapprovingly. Paul nodded in agreement, tugging my hand and walking me out of the tent.

It was quiet on the beach, the gentle lapping of the water against the shore calming me. My bare feet dug into the sand, my shoulders relaxing as the noise of the party turned into a gentle hum behind us as we walked further away.

Finally, when it was all but silent, we stopped, collapsing into the sand and leaning against each other. I closed my eyes, just listening to Paul's heartbeat, the gentle intake and outtake of his breath.

"Rachel, do you know how much I love you?" Paul suddenly whispered to me, and I smiled back at him, nodding.

"Well I know how much I love you, Paul," I whispered back, cuddling against his side. He took a shuddering, deep breath before standing, pulling me to my feet. I stared at him confused, and he just smiled back.

"With all this hubbub of the wedding, it's really shown me how much I love you. You have stayed so strong for Emily and everybody else, and you look sexy as hell when you're working hard. I know that I am going to spend the rest of your life with you, Rach…which is also the rest of mine," he breathed, before dropping to his knee.

All breath I had floated out of me at that moment, seeing him down there, pull out that ring… It was gorgeous, one simple diamond stone on a silver band, not too large or flashy and not the size of a pea. Perfect.

"Rachel Sarah Marie Black, will you marry me?" Paul was so perfect, kneeling in his handsome tux and holding out his ring, and I clasped a hand to my mouth, gasping in shock, happy tears floating down my face.

"Fuck yes, Paul! Yes, yes, yes!" I screamed, collapsing against him and throwing my arms around his neck in excitement and joy.

"I was hoping you'd say that…"

* * *

Heyla,

As promised, another chapter! I said I might update in three days, but I hardly got any reviews! Thanks to those who did, they're awesome!

Again, I'll say the same! Four, or three if you really want it! Almost done with the last chapter! :(

Five more updates to go!

As always, TwilightHeart21


	26. Unexpected

Chapter Twenty-six – Unexpected

"I don't like this… I mean, I really don't like this. I do not think that you have to go. Maybe you can meet Renesmee without meeting the rest of the Cullens, can't you?" Paul pleaded me desperately, and I scoffed.

"Paul! You, Seth, and Jake will be there. And the Cullens have excellent control, remember?" I reminded him gently, and he growled, shaking his head.

"Peace treaty my ass! That moody one almost killed Bella when she was human, and a single fucking drop of blood set him off!" He spat, and I scoffed again.

"Paul, we're going. Jake's been dying for me to meet Nessie for a while, and now that the whole Volturri mess has blown over, and Bella's so well in control, why not?" He snarled a little.

"And we need to test that on you?" he yowled, and I shot him a look. He knew well and good that Bella was around Charlie and Sue all the time, and she hadn't so much as growled at them.

"Fine, fine…but I still don't like it," he growled, and I sniggered, ignoring him as we pulled into the Cullen driveway. My stomach flipped as the looming mansion came into view.

Truthfully, I was just as nervous as Paul, though I'd never tell him that. The thought of being with vampires nerved me to no end, yet I was still anticipating it. These people were most likely going to be my family in-law and I had to get to know them. But at least two of them had been killers, they ate people, they drank their blood.

I shivered slightly as we stepped onto the doorstep, and Paul's arm tightened around me as his form went rigid. "Vampire smell..." he shuddered under his breath, and I jabbed him in the side threateningly.

"Shut it!" I warned under my breath as I reached to knock on the door, but my fist didn't need to make contact before it was pulled open swiftly by Jake, who was grinning broadly.

"RACHEL!" he yelped, squishing me in his arms as he reached out and wrapped me in a hug. I laughed as my brother dropped me back on the ground, still grinning.

"Long time, no see, baby bro!" I smiled, and he scoffed slightly as he motioned for us to come in. Paul once again slinked his arm obsessively around my waist and I shot him an annoyed glare, shaking it off.

"Okay, this is Nessie," he said, leading me into a starch white living room and pointing to a small girl sitting on the most beautiful woman I had ever saw's lap. Long brown hair framed her pale white face, her gold eyes surveying me with polite interest. My breath was taken away by the whole room; every one of them was gorgeous, so much so that I felt myself swaying on my feet.

They were all pale and each seemed to be more beautiful than the next, all of them offering me small smiles as well. But Renesmee, she was a beauty in her own way. She was fair, her bronze hair so long it surely surpassed her feet. She had little dimples, a slight tinge of pink colored her cheeks… but the thing that stood out the most was definitely her brown, chocolate eyes, which were deep and flecked with interest and understanding, much too wise for a girl her age.

She looked to be a petite seven year old, but she could fit so easily into her mother's lap it appeared she could have been five as well. "Hello, Rachel! It's amazing to meet you…" she smiled slightly at my bewildered face, for her voice was carrying and majestic, it hinted that she was twenty years old!

"You too," I finally sputtered, sticking out my hand though I felt a bit ridiculous. She bounded off her mom's lap, and caught me around the middle in a hug, ignoring my outstretched hand. After a moment, I wrapped my hands around awkwardly, but smiled at her anyway.

"Jake's told me a lot about you," she said softly, and I shot Jake a look. She chuckled at this, shaking her head firmly. "Oh no, nothing bad! I promise you." I scowled at him anyway, rolling my eyes.

"Err- anyway, this is Bella, Ness's mom, and this is-" But I had interrupted him, giving Bella a cold gaze.

"Are you the one who made my brother run away from home?" I asked her coldly, and she looked highly embarrassed. I noticed Jake's cheeks turn a deep shade of red; the smiles fade off of some of the Cullen's faces, and Nessie's face bunch up in confusion.

"No. That was entirely his decision… and I'm Edward, Bella's husband and Renesmee's father," Edward interjected, his face rigid. I scowled at him, and Jake cleared his throat, stepping in between us.

"Anyway, this is Alice and Jasper, Esme and Carlisle, and Emmett and Blondie... I mean Rosalie." He had quickly changed Rosalie's name as Nessie shot him a look of exasperation and agitation. I nodded curtly at each one of them, and they smiled back, which made me feel guilty enough to finally sigh, and then smile fully.

Paul's arm was snaked around my waist again, and I leaned into his side as Esme motioned for us to sink into the couch, which we did immediately. She seemed one of the two least hostile of the bunch, the other being Dr. Cullen.

"So, you two are engaged?" Jake asked as he sat down himself, Nessie sliding into lap. I noticed Bella purse her lips at this, eyeing Jake disdainfully. It was Paul who answered him.

"Yup, I was pretty damn surprised when she agreed… she's so independent." Paul chortled, and I giggled, kissing him sloppily on the cheek. Jake pulled a face, pretending to gag.

"My sister, Walker," he growled threateningly. Paul scowled at Jacob, holding me tighter.

"My fiancée, Black!" he retorted, and I giggled again. Jake rolled his eyes dismissively.

"So, already drawing out wedding plans?" Jake inquired, and I turned a deep shade of scarlet. Glancing at Paul, I saw he had the same reaction.

"Umm… well, maybe not for a while." I said a bit tentatively. Paul nodded at my side, and Jake sniggered. Alice let out a disappointed squeak.

"Why not? Don't want to get hitched and have any pups?" he taunted, and I hissed.

"Shut it!" I warned, and he laughed again. Paul looked exceedingly uncomfortable next to me as Jake continued to probe me, and I quickly changed the subject, making idle small talk until the sun hung midway through the sky, and I stood up, relieved to be going.

The vampires unnerved me, with their beauty and piercing gazes… it was extremely chilling. When we finally took our leave, Paul practically carried me to the car in his rush to get away. "Ugh, finally… those lee- I mean vamps make me nervous as fuck. Almost got up and ran away with you seven times…" he shivered slightly, and I smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's okay, I felt the same way. I don't think I'm going to be visiting the Cullen's for a while, anyway…" I trailed off, and Paul smirked in a 'I told ya so' kind of way. I scoffed back at him.

"Well, there is a reason we had to leave early, anyway." Paul said this nervously, and I examined him suspiciously.

"Which would be?" I prodded austerely, and he swallowed uncomfortably, glaring out of the window.

"Ah-well, you see, my dad and the girl that he cheated on my mom with ten years ago… well they've gotten married-"

"What?" I shrieked in angry disbelief, that they hadn't invited their own son to the wedding! I had never met Rupert Walker, or his mistress. Lili was her name, apparently, but I was assuming they were dreadful to Paul, since they never called or talked to each other. Paul sighed as he pulled into a rather unfamiliar driveway, a neat brick house in front of us.

"Rach, listen! They eloped. Didn't invite anyone… just went up and did it as soon as my mother signed the divorce papers… Anyway, they wanna make up for it and invited me over. Guess I'd bring you along as well… you'll get to meet both of my parents, plus my new stepmom." He looked extremely put off as he uttered the last sentence, his face screwed up in what looked like annoyance.

"Well, then, better get in, shall we?" I quipped, and he groaned, but nodded, opening the door and running around to my side, opening the door for me and letting me step out into the pouring rain, crouching over me as if he was a giant bat to try and keep me dry.

He led me up under the porch, shaking himself out quickly before ringing the doorbell, and almost immediately it was tugged open. I was caught off guard, and yelped, stumbling backward into Paul's arms.

The woman who answered had dirty blond hair pulled back into an elegant sweep, a black skirt and a blue blouse dressing her, though I could have sworn on my life that she was not wearing a bra as her breasts bounced and flew as she jumped up and down excitedly.

She was grinning broadly, and held out her arms for us to walk into, which I did though very reluctantly, Paul even more so. "Ooh, Paul, this must be Rachel then?" she beamed, and Paul flushed but nodded.

"Erm- yes, this is Rachel. Rach, this is my… dad's wife, Lili." He offered awkwardly. Lili grabbed my hand brightly, pulling me into another hug before letting me fall back.

"Well, it's wonderful meeting you! I expect you've heard Rupert and mine big news? Oh come on, I won't bite! I promise!" she giggled as she turned back from her position at the end of the doorway, her eyes twinkling. Somewhat taken aback by her peppy attitude, I followed with Paul at my side.

"She's something, no?" Paul breathed in my ear, and I sniggered. But my attention was diverted by a man who looked severely liked Paul, with the exception of his black, straight hair as opposed to Paul's curly brown locks.

"This is my dad, Rupert. Dad, this is Rachel…my fiancée," he breathed, and I beamed at him with a slight smirk, winking. Mr. Walker walked over to me swiftly, and gripped my arm, rigidly, though he was smiling.

"Pleasure to meet you, Paul has spoken of you when we have talked before." Mr. Walker said this in such a tone, I was afraid he was criticizing me for it, but he was smiling nonetheless, though when I looked a bit closer, I saw it was more of a grimace.

"Oh, Rupie! You never told me Paul spoke of her so much!" Lili murmured, scampering to him and pecking him sloppily on the cheek. At her soft touch, Rupert turned and granted her a real smile, swelling with pride as he grabbed her around the middle.

"Oh dear, sit, sit! I almost forgot I asked you… but as I was going to say, has Rupert told you of our excellent news?" Lili smiled, clutching her stomach with happiness.

"Err- yes, I was under the impression that was why we were here?" Paul cocked an eyebrow and Lili waved that away, rolling her eyes.

"No, I didn't mean our marriage… What I'm talking about is that I'm expecting!" she murmured, happy tears forming in her green eyes. Paul froze next to me, and I clasped a hand to my mouth in shock. Rupert was quite frozen as well, surveying Paul's reaction. Paul finally nodded his body still stiff as a board. I squeezed his hand, still trying to recover myself from the shock of it.

"That's… great!" I finally broke the tense silence, and Lili, who was staring around in unaware bliss, beamed at me.

"Isn't it? Just amazing, I mean? Totally unexpected, of course, but I'm ecstatic nonetheless!" she sighed dreamily, and Rupert finally relaxed a bit.

On our way home, Paul maintained a stony silence until we were inside. He finally seemed to burst. "I CANNOT believe them! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OLDER MY DAD IS THAN LILI?" he roared, and I pursed my lips, but nodded.

"I imagined. But they're both happy with each other, and Lili seemed to be positively glowing about having a baby…" I trailed off at the furious glare Paul was emitting at me, and placed my hands on my hips.

"Oh, come off it Paul!" I griped, and he hissed, shaking his head.

"Rachel, Lili is not that bad, but dad was the worst father anybody could ask for! Why do you think I'm so messed up?"

"I don't think you're messed up!" I exclaimed in a hushed tone, angry. He rolled his eyes, but said no more as he gathered me in his arms.

"Well, at least I'll always have you!" he murmured, kissing my cheek affectionately. I glared at him still, angry that he was taking his frustration out on me.

"Yeah, yeah. You will. Just stop yelling at me for stuff that is not my fucking fault, okay?" I demanded, and he laughed while nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I promise I won't. I'm just kinda freaking out a little, ya know?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"I guessed that that was the case."

* * *

Heyla,

As promised, another chapter! Thanks to those who did, they're awesome!

BIG news! The Second Round of the Pup and Leech Nominations are coming up! Ya'll can start nominating on June 1, so please go over there and do it! :)

Four more updates to go!

As always, TwilightHeart21


	27. The Test

Chapter Twenty-seven – The Test

Paul shoved his hand toward me, a twinkling smile in his eye as I took it, letting him spin me in his arms and tug me to his chest with a kiss to my neck. "Three years, baby, three years!" I hissed in his ear as his hands roamed my ass, cupping it and digging his fingernails into it.

"I know… three years ago today, I imprinted on you!" he said raucously as my snaked arm ran across his stiff member. I laughed rocking against him as we hit the bed, our mainly uneaten dinner forgotten in the kitchen.

"Yes, I seem to remember you running away from me like a little –girl!" I screamed the last word as Paul ripped my shirt off, grabbing my breasts and massaging them gently.

I gasped as he growled, ripping my pants off and his in one swift motion and rubbing his middle finger on the dainty silk material, making me wet and kick my leg in reaction, moaning.

"Oh, god!" I screeched as he kissed me, biting my cheek, then my tongue, and then dragging his teeth down to my neck, nibbling on my shoulders softly. His tongue flicked out, trailing hot wetness down my body until he was at my pulsing breasts, sucking on them.

I thumped my vagina against his pumping member, and he growled delightfully as he entered me, I bucking happily as he grew larger and larger, my walls tightening against him…

I was almost there, I could feel my bubble growing larger and larger, it was almost at its breaking point… and Paul thrust himself one last time, before I exploded, euphoria running through me as I fell back against the bed with a scream.

"That was… not as long as usual," I whispered, raising an eyebrow as he cackled.

"I did that on purpose. I was thinking that we could start out fast, get into slow and…rough the later the night goes on. How does that sound?" he growled, and I giggled in delight as he rolled over me, his arms supporting himself as he gave me a kiss.

"Yes, that sounds very good to me," I smirked in an English accent, and he laughed as he fell on top of me, touching all he could and making me want to touch back, hugging and straddling and cradling all I possibly could…

The unusual yet bright sun woke me as my clock rang annoyingly. I stretched my muscles which were sore from the full night of sex, sex, sex! For our anniversary, I prepared five steaks, one for me and the rest for Paul. I had worked diligently when he was on patrol, excited for our knowing and loving each other for so many years, but our lust for each other became too much but two bites into the meal.

As I glanced at the clock, I gave a yelp and leapt from the bed, my naked body cold in the still air. "Paul, wake the fuck up!" I screeched, digging through my dresser and appearing with jeans, a bra, and a red t-shirt. Paul mumbled something under his breath before waving me away. I huffed, before letting out a pierce scream in his ear.

"I said to wake up, you douche! We have to be at your dad's in literally fifteen minutes!" I screamed, and he sat bolt upright, his mouth agape as he stupidly fumbled for his shorts. When he managed to get those on, he tugged on a gray shirt.

"Sorry, but I'm tired… you were amazing last night, babe. Besides, my dad's house is only a couple blocks away," he mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah!" I waved it away, but grinned at how amazing I was last night. I so totally knew it. I grabbed Paul's hand, letting them swing lightly between us as we walked the short distance to his father and Lili's house, reveling in the rare sunlight.

Paul's sister Julia was now over one years old, pudgy and adorable as hell. Paul had gotten over what he disliked of Lili and treated her nice; though it was mostly because of little Julia who he was so big-brother on it made me laugh.

Once we reached the house, Paul knocked on the door three times before it sprang open, and Lili answered looking haphazard. "Oh Paul, Rachel, you're here! Thank god, Julia was getting fussy and this'll cheer her right up! Come in, come in!" She ushered the both of us in, smiling tiredly at us as we followed her to the kitchen.

She had a long green t-shirt on, blue jeans underneath though her whole outfit was stained with various splotches, though I had no idea what they were. "Jules, angel, Paul and Rach are here!" she sang and she looked up, her huge blue Rupert eyes stared at us with excitement. She pushed her mushy bananas away, screaming Paul's name with happiness as she restrained against her highchair.

"Mommy, mommy! Me want Paul!" she screamed, and Lili sighed and lifted her out, handing her over to Paul who sat in a kitchen chair, coddling her with a smile.

"Hey pretty baby girl, how are you?" I cooed to her, and she giggled back sweetly, shrugging shyly. She stuck a finger in her mouth, sucking it like a pacifier.

"Oh, Jules baby, don't do that. Mommy doesn't like it, remember?" Lili groaned, pulling away Julia's fingers from her mouth as she collapsed into a chair across from Paul.

Her eyes were drooping, her chin was slipping forward, and every so often she'd jerk it up, tiredly stretching out her fingers like she needed to wake herself up.

"Lili, you look exhausted… what's wrong?" I asked my voice slightly whiny with concern. She looked around, as if shocked she was being spoken to.

"Oh… I'm alright. It's just Rupert has been so busy at the office lately, and Jules is quite a handful. I haven't got much help with her, and she gets so busy if she doesn't have a change of pace once and a while…" Lili looked exhausted as she let her head fall onto the table, her forehead smacking the top and making a thwacking sound. I felt sorry for her; she was almost like a sister to me.

"Hey, I just had an amazing idea! One of my friends, Emily, is a nanny and her client just started kindergarten so they don't need her anymore… she's looking for work, and maybe she could help you out with Jules! She is damn awesome with kids and she would be amazing!" I exclaimed, slightly begging. Lili looked shocked, but smiled at me as she rested her elbow on the counter.

"Oh, Rach thanks! I'll give her a call… I saw an ad in the paper a couple a days ago, and I was thinking about it…but you convinced me. I'll go ahead and contact her soon… It'll give me a good chance at getting a job, too! I was thinking of helping run that beauty parlor in Forks," she said, and I giggled.

"You mean Curls Unfurled? Another friend of mine, Cassie King, owns it. I'll put in a good word for you," I said, and she beamed at me, clasping my hands.

"Oh lord, Rachel! I am so glad I have you, don't know what I'd do without you, I swear it!" she laughed. Julia mimicked her laugh happily, and Paul who had been holding her rocked her back and forth quickly, making her giggle harder.

"MORE!" she screamed as he slowed, and grinning he sped up again. She was clasping onto his hold, though I highly doubted he would even let her slip her position without screeching to a halt to make sure she was alright.

He was as protective of her as he was of me, and that was saying something considering he once freaked out when a kid in my class placed a tack on my chair, even though I saw him do it and didn't sit on it. I had to keep him from tracking the kid down, though I admit it was quite ridiculous.

"No problem," said I, but I was staring at Paul, his happiness making me smile… I had never pegged him as a good baby person but there he was, bouncing her and cooing to her and smiling and playing happily.

I should have seen it as some omen, but of course I ignored that, just gleeful that he and his father's family were getting along.

Six weeks later, things were the same as they had been ever since I settled in with Paul, I would get up and get breakfast, go to work and come home to what we were having for dinner and cook it with Paul, we would correct my student's stuff while we waited, then finish up and watch TV, followed by an hour or more of sex, and bed. It was pretty generic, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

He barely had an hour patrol anymore, nothing had happened since the Volturri came, and there was a peace between the Cullen's and Jake's pack and us.

A new imprint had joined us, Embry's half-sister Angie was twelve and enthralled by Collin, even Em was being quite the protective fool. She had also phased into a wolf, ticking the grand total to eighteen wolves. At least we were back to thirteen now Embry, Quil, Seth, and Leah were all officially in Jake's pack, though all of them with the exception of Leah who still could not stand Sam and felt uncomfortable being with Emily.

Now, I was setting the timer on the stove for thirty minutes, Paul's short patrol would be over in fifteen. Absentmindedly, I glanced at the calendar, and today's starred date caught my eye. Curiously, I approached it wondering why I had marked it.

I spotted it and noticed it was my special period mark, where I was supposed to get the cursed gift. Thinking back, I tried to remember when I'd last got it... and gasped. I was seven weeks late from the last time I was supposed to get it.

A sickly feeling washed over me, like that of someone being bulldozed to the ground. No period for that long… the only explanation would… it would mean I'm pregnant. My breath came out shallow as I realized what this meant… I could not have a baby! That was… was ridiculous, the idea!

Before I could even think about it, I grabbed my car keys, sprinting out the door as fast as possible, tearing out the driveway and down the road, not caring about speeding or police or anything, I had to find out, even though I kind of new the dreaded answer.

I raced in, searching for a pregnancy test through the aisles and seizing one that I heard of quickly and throwing the money on the counter, spitting to the man to keep the change.

When I got home, I sprinted into the bathroom, reading the directions thoroughly before following them, rocking in nervousness and terrible queasiness as I stared at the stick, a thin pink line was forming.

And then another was coming right next to it, and I almost dropped the test. My stomach plunged as the tow lines became definite, churning and twisting in complete disbelief.

A baby… I was going to have a baby. I felt like sobbing; this was the worst time for me to have a child! I was just starting my life out, just beginning to get things sorted out!

And what would Paul say? Would he leave me, finally, and realize I wasn't good enough for him? Because I wasn't, he was too good and now I was pregnant and he would think things through and realize my deepest fear… The imprint wouldn't even matter to him at that point.

Besides, how could I support a child, with a teacher's salary plus only Paul's unpredictable construction job, who knows how much money we would be having!

A door suddenly opened, and I heard Paul calling out my name as he ran into the kitchen, and then again in confusion as I wasn't in there. Shakily, I stepped out of the bathroom, my lips pursed as he came to face me in the hallway, concerned.

"Rachel, what's… hold on, you've been crying! What the hell happened?" He growled, stepping forward so his hand was brushing across my cheek. I sucked in quickly, knowing that if I didn't get this out now I never would.

"Paul, I'm pregnant." I whispered my voice cracking. I broke into sobs, covering my face with my hand in shame and worry. Paul froze, his arm outstretched while a look of horror spread over his features.

**

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**

Heyla,

Sorry for the hideous delay. Check out the top of my profile for more info please!

As always, TwilightHeart21


	28. One Moment

**Chapter Twenty-eight – One Moment**

Paul stared at me, his mouth gaping open in shock. "Whah…?" he asked stupidly, and I swallowed nervously.

"You heard me, Paul. I- I'm pregnant. Now, I know that this is a shock… but I need your help! Please… oh lord, please don't leave me!" My voice broke at the end of my sentence, and I gasped, pain rippling through me at the very thought.

Paul rushed forward at inhuman speed, crushing me to his chest. "I don't… I mean, I won't… I am not going to leave you, ever." He assured me, and it was enough. I deeply embraced him, feeling every part of him I could and trying to appreciate it all in one moment.

In the morning, we were both exhausted, and that was when the panic actually started sinking in, the fears I'd thought of before rearing their heads… what would I tell my dad? What would Paul tell either of his parents? How could we afford a baby?

My dad nearly killed Paul when he found out, and Billy can be pretty scary when he wants to. No one would dare call him a cripple.

Lili and Rupert were surprisingly supported, shocked at first of course, but eventually they helped us and Lili and I reveled that Jules will have someone to play with. She swore on her life that it was going to be a girl, though I laughed I secretly hoped she was right… I always wanted my first to be a daughter.

But Mrs. Walker, now Mrs. Bridger as the divorce had been finalized, freaked out. She slapped me hard in the face, and she and Paul got into a very nasty argument. I hated being caught in the middle of it. Once she stormed out, Paul told me this had been a fight years in the making, and he was glad he finally got it out.

Sometime later, we found we were going to have twins, and Paul near fainted at the news. That kind of settled it for him, that he needed a job. So he got one, managing a handy shop for an old man. It paid pretty well, and he was pretty happy with it. Mr. Killmore, his boss, wasn't one to ask questions or gossip, so the pack secret was not at jeopardy.

The Wolf Girls had been, to say the least, crazy ecstatic at the process of having a baby added to the group. With the addition of Collin's new imprint, Angie (also Embry's younger sister), things were moving fast.

And then, tragedy struck.

I should have known. I should have realized that this bliss was too good to last, but I remained under the impression that nothing could touch me in these moments of newfound happiness of which I hadn't experienced in so long; long talks with Paul, us getting along so well, and the camaraderie that came along with being a Wolf Girl. We always saw each other as equals, and we had our squabbles, but somehow we managed to claw our way back together, stronger than ever.

Marie died. My fellow teacher, who helped me out on my first day, whose kids were in my very first class, got killed in a terrible car wreckage alongside her twin sons, Kyle and Kevin. My heart was broken, and for a few days, I could barely think, so shocked I didn't even have the energy to go to school and teach; and that is saying something considering I never missed a day before…for anything.

But at least I knew what I was going to name my babies, then. If I had two boys: Kyle and Kevin. If there was one girl at least, her name would be Marie. I did not voice this, I didn't know why but I chose to keep it to myself. I wanted that to be kept inside me, to waver around until the little babies decided to come out…

"Rachel, your students sent you some cards!" Paul bellowed as he sidled into our small bedroom. I struggled to sit up, my enormous pregnant belly stretching out in front of me. I was nine months pregnant and huge; my babies were growing fast and I had been (begrudgingly) placed on bed rest.

"Aw, how sweet!" I smiled, stretching out a pale hand to grab them. Paul anxiously flitted across the room, stuffing the roughly drawn papers into my hand before my elbow so much as left the mattress. I drew a ragged breath, glaring at him.

"Paul. I can manage to hold my arm out from my body!" I snapped at him, and he pursed his lips.

"Rach, the doctor said that you should do no strenuous or stressful activity!" he growled back, resulting in my scowl. Those damn doctors, telling me what to do and when! They were what I despised most about being pregnant.

"You are stressing me out more than anything. The only time I get up from this damned bed is to pee. And it's not that comfortable with you standing at the door listening in!" I yelled and he turned red, looking at his feet. I knew immediately that I struck low; I knew he didn't actually

listen.

"I don't… I don't listen to

that. I ignore that stuff… I just listen to make sure you don't fall." He swallowed uncomfortably, guiltily, and as he looked up again his gaze travelled to my stomach. He and I both knew that behind the old, worn t-shirt of Paul's, my stomach was grown to the max, covered in stretch marks. My twins were both big, and they needed a lot of room.

Guilt ran through me like wild fire as I looked into his scared eyes. He was frightened about the health of me and the babies and I hated that I was causing him more grief. I gulped uneasily and placed the cards on my lap, beckoning for Paul to come closer.

"I'm sorry, babe. I know you're worried about me. I'm just restless, you know me; I hate being cooped up," I sighed, and he smiled apologetically, gently stroking my hair.

"I know. But it'll all be over in a week! And, Lili is visiting tomorrow with Jules!" he said encouragingly, and I grunted. Lili visited me every week; this was no change of pace.

"Fun," I said dryly, and he rolled his eyes. He now needed to be the optimistic one in our relationship.

"Come on, you have to be excited about Rodolfo and Kansas coming!" he exclaimed, rubbing my stomach affectionately. I let out an irritated sigh.

"We are not naming any of our children Rodolfo or Kansas! Jeez Paul, I do not want to make their lives miserable!" I complained, and he frowned. He really wanted these names, but I plain refused.

"Fine. What would be a name you would like for them?" he growled, and I glanced longingly at my stomach as well. My babies would soon be brought into the world and they needed suitable names…

"Oh, I do have one or two in mind…"

"THE BAGS! PAUL, THE BAGS!" I screamed, leaning against the doorframe and panting heavily, clutching at my stomach. He whirred past me, grabbed a couple of overnight duffle bags sitting on the floor, looking around wildly, pushed me out the door.

"That's it? Right, we don't need to bring anything else! Okay, into the car, yeah, there ya go Rach, okay!" he continued commentary as we started driving, offering his comfort and cheery attitude, which really just pissed me the fuck off.

Another contraction swept over me and the pain was so great I knew that if I had been standing, I would have collapsed onto the floor. "Oooooh!" I breathed, fists clenched tightly.

Paul had just come home from patrol when I had my first contraction, and had just totally flipped out. It would have been rather amusing if not for the searing jolts of pain every few minutes.

His face was unnaturally paled as we pulled into Forks' Hospital, and he kept glancing at me worriedly as he carefully helped me out of the van. The bright sun pooled like fire on the back of my neck as I struggled inside, and was immediately placed in a wheelchair.

The nurse was very kind and we were able to get a private room, away from prying eyes and whispers of our fingers, bare of wedding bands. Emily and Kim came around later, holding my hand for a good two hours before wandering out in the lobby to greet the other members of the pack.

Exhaustion was sweeping over me as well as nausea, and the babies were not coming. I was afraid I might have to get a c-section, but fortunately the doctor delivered the news that I was now moving along pretty quick.

It was darker when I finally felt the urge the push, maybe around seven, and Paul was at my side, as well as Emily. A mother might normally come in, but seeing as I didn't have one, I decided I wanted to have my closest friend.

Finally, on April 19, 2011 at 7:23 in the evening, Marie Rebecca Walker came screaming into the world. I cried, sobbing really, at the prospect that there was one down; I just had to give birth to the other baby… A son, I knew it was going to be a boy.

"Alright, Ms. Black! Yes, yes, good! And one final push, there you go… And a baby boy!" he beamed, and I let loose a little laugh as I fell against the bed, clutching at my chest as I cried happily, reaching blindly for Paul. He clasped onto my hand, but I noticed it was tight, a little too tight and too tense.

I looked up at him, confused. "What? What's wrong…?" But then I realized that only Marie's cries penetrated the air; there was no sign that another being had entered the room. I looked around wildly and saw the doctor frantically patted the blue baby boy on the bottom, panic in his features.

"Mrs. Barnes, Ms. Janet! Get this baby to Dr. Harrison stat!" he barked, and an elderly looking woman swept forward, taking my still and unmoving son and running out of the room.

Panic and fear drowned me as I sat up, screaming. I didn't know who I was talking to, what I was saying, really nothing at all. I was hardly aware of the restraining, shaking hands Paul was pressing into my chest, or the nurses and doctor trying to talk to me, explain what was going on.

All I was aware of was that my baby was taken away from me, and I had no idea what was happening to him or if he was even still here. In what seemed like a lifetime, a solemn nurse came in, gently taking my hand. It hung limply in her hand as I stared at her, letting my screams finally ease into nothingness.

Her stare was full of pity; I could not stand it.

You know how some people say that their hearts can be broken? Like, shatter into a million pieces, something along those lines, anyway? Well, I think those people are lucky. Because if you have pieces, than you can one day you could maybe put those together again. But when you have something that truly ruins you, truly makes you so miserable and so desolate that you can hardly stand it, your heart does not break.

Your heart disappears. It's no longer there, it ceases to exist. There is no way that it can ever return, at least whole, again. And I knew when that bitch of a nurse told me and Paul that we lost our son, Marie's twin; my heart fell away, leaving my body entirely.

I was scared it would never return.

My cheeks were streaked with tears, and this was seemingly becoming a permanent fixture on my face during my time in the hospital. The doctors were worried for my mental sanity, so apparently that prompted them to say they 'wanted' me to stay a few extra days, along with Marie, to 'make sure we were both okay'.

The doctors explained to me that this happened a lot with mothers who birthed stillborns…he said that this was perfectly normal, and I nodded numbly. I didn't listen to them, not really. I just wanted to see Paul, Emily, my family, and most of all Marie, and just lament in that time.

They distracted me, they stole me away from my thoughts of misery and pain and made me smile, occasionally laugh. I tried really hard to be happy, for Paul's sake. I hated seeing him suffer on my behalf.

Finally, I was released, and the bright sun made me blink as I left the hospital, clutching my new daughter to my chest.

I stared down at her, and found she was asleep, her tiny eyes closed and her small hand resting against my chest. I smiled at Marie, shifting her body so she was pressed closer to me. She had brown, curly hair like Paul, as well as his blue eyes.

She cried not too often, just like any other baby, but if I held her and rocked her, she would fall asleep instantly. I knew she would get me through anything that came along, she and Paul both would. And I swore, right then, that I would be there even more so for her. She would need me, and I would help her through anything that came her way.

"Now, Rach, remember there's a welcoming home party. This is just for Marie, and we have to celebratory, okay?" Paul said carefully as we drove home, glancing at me. I understood his pleading to not think about our son, and nodded, looking out the window.

Once we got home, I jumped out and unbuckled Marie from her safety seat as Paul grabbed all our things from the back of the car, taking them in. As I opened the door, a sound much like an explosion sounded from inside as the wolf girls rushed to greet me.

Emily was the first, hugging me and Marie at the same time and shrugging us inside, laughing happily. "First wolf baby! I always thought it'd be me, but you just had to go ahead and jump ahead," she said slyly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Em, I tried so hard to have a baby before you," I muttered. Kim grinned as she came to stand next to us with twelve-year-old Angie next to her.

"Oh, we know you did. Emily and Sam managed to get married before Jared and me too… we're gonna do everything last." Kim said glumly, and I couldn't help but snigger.

"Kim, your wedding is in two months!" Emily reminded her, and Kim grumbled something under her breath at that sounded like 'sooner than that the bastard'.

Angie, next to her, smiled a little, but a bored look immediately took over her face again. I found it rather surprising that I could act so normal, forget so easily the son I never got to know. The Wolf girls made me laugh, and I beamed as more members of the pack came arrived and congratulated me.

Finally, everyone was here except for one of the newer wolves, Jesse, and his girlfriend Sandra. Louis looked rather sour as he watched his ex-girlfriend Amanda, also the trigger for his phasing and vice versa, flirt with other pack member Rickie. They seemed to betting along alright, but as my eyes shifted over Max, I let out a little groan. He was looking at Amanda with a gaze that might have set the whole place on fire. Just what the pack fricking needed: more drama.

Jesse suddenly sauntered in, a small girl with smooth looking black hair on his arm. They both looked rather snotty, and my dislike for Jesse grew. He had always been my least favorite of the pack.

He grinned as he led Sandra over to us, and I plastered a small smile on my face nodding at him politely. "Hey, Rachel! I do believe you've met my little lady here before!" He grinned again as he pushed her forward slightly, and I watched in disgust as she stuck her chest out, her boobs flying out playfully from her chest.

"Ah, now, let me see that little Marie! She's so small…" he trailed off as he held his arms out for her, and I hesitated before handing her over. Something in me was screaming to hold tight to her and run as far away from here as possible, but I quickly dismissed that as my slight hatred of the young man, and, not wanting to be rude, banished the thoughts.

"Now, let's see that little face, Mar-" Jesse stopped midsentence as he pulled the blanket covering Marie's face back, and gazed down into her eyes.

His mouth fell open and he stared at my baby with a kind of blank amazement, his eyes looking at nothing but her. As soon as my mind comprehended what this look meant, as I had seen my fiancée looking at me with it numerous times, I shrieked, bounding forward to pull her out of his arms.

He was unsuspecting of this, and Marie slipped out and into my hands, but his were still cradled like she was in them. He was blinking dazedly as I backed away from him, shaking his head. Sandra was looking at him with disgust, also backing away.

"You- you pervert!" I screamed, at my scream several turned my way, understanding dawning on their face as soon as they saw me clutching Marie, and Jesse, standing there dumbfounded. Quil looked practically pitying.

Paul sprinted in not a moment after my scream, looking around shrewdly. "Rachel baby, what's wrong?" he growled, suddenly menacing as he took in the surroundings. My eyes narrowed, and I pointed a furious, trembling finger at

him.

"Jesse! Jesse imprinted on OUR DAUGHTER! Our baby!" I hissed, grinding my teeth together angrily. While Paul was no king of calm, he had done better since I was entered into his life. But now, he was shaking brilliantly with rage, advancing on Jesse with clenched fists.

"You… imprinted? On my daughter?" he spat, and Jesse nodded meekly, not meeting our eyes. I was seeing red; I wanted that filthy mutt dead!

Marie had started howling loudly the minute I held her so Jesse couldn't see her and she him, but I ignored her cries as Paul growled at Jesse. "Outside. Now." Paul ordered, and Jesse was almost forced to head out, as he knew that Paul was

this close to attacking him, and he didn't want anyone hurt. Plus, Paul was several ranks above him, with Jared as the beta and Sam of course as the alpha.

My breath was ragged as I stood rooted to the spot, anger searing through me more so than in my entire life.

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**Heyla,**

**Thanks to those who reviewed! Kisses to all and tell me whatcha think...I'm kinda curious about this one!**

**I want to send a shout-out to laurazuleta18, who is just generally awesome, and a good writer, too! Luv ya girl! **


	29. Finally

**Chapter Twenty-nine – Finally**

**April 19, 2018**

"…Happy birthday dear Marie, happy birthday to you!" Paul and I sang as Marie beamed at us over her stack of pancakes, seven candles spread over the top.

"Make a wish baby!" I crooned, and she did so instantly. Her brown hair was up in a lose ponytail. Jesse was standing beside her, gazing at her with a look of utter amazement. Dislike was still boiling in me just looking at him, but I kept any comments at bay for the sake of my daughter.

She loved him with everything in her, even though I hated him so much. Paul had calmed a little after practically killing him after she was born, after Jesse showed him specifically that what he felt towards her was nothing romantic… but I was still wary.

Sam had had to intervene, ordering Paul to back down and listen to what the idiot had to say. I was quite a bit upset though, and didn't let him see her for a few days before Paul convinced me to at least agree to supervised visits.

Now, she giggled freely and grabbed the syrup bottle, piling it on top of the breakfast food. "So, what did you wish for?" Jesse asked her, and she glared at him slightly.

"Jesse! You know that I can't tell you! Jeez!" she complained, and I allowed myself a small smile.

"BUT! I do _hope_, I said hope, not wish! I do _hope_ that Mommy and Daddy's wedding will go down good today!" she crowed, and I grinned at her proudly as Paul wound his arms around my waist lovingly.

Yes, that's right! Paul and I had an eight year engagement. After Marie was born and we had all that drama, we decided to put if off for a while. And then months turned into years and we never got around to it.

It was only a year ago that we started planning for it, when Marie asked us why we weren't married. We asked ourselves the same question. The time had long come and gone for stupid excuses, and Emily and Kim were only too willing to help me out.

We wanted to honor it with it being on our daughter's birthday, so the big day was in fact today, and I was filled with nervous excitement. I had been waiting for the moments to come since I was a little girl.

All of the other imprints had long since gotten married, with exception of Renesmee and Jake. Hanna and Alex had even tied the knot!

"Will Auntie Becca and Emily and Kimmy and Cassie be here soon?" she asked me, and I nodded.

"Probably any minute. They have to get me and you in our dresses, and then they have to get their dresses on! We only have until four!" I reminded her gently, and Paul grinned excitedly.

"They should be here any second… which means, I'll have to go and hang out at Jared and Kim's place," Paul rolled his eyes. Marie looked at him with a confused expression.

"Daddy, why do you have to leave?" she asked and all three of us laughed.

"Baby, first of all, they're going to kick me out. They just want to do make-up and hair; they're going to be racing around all busy and crazy… I wouldn't want to be caught up in all that, anyway," he explained, and she frowned at him, her little mouth puckering angrily.

"So why are you leaving me here? I don't wanna be caught up in everything either!" she complained, and there was laughing from the hallway. We turned to see the girls strolling in, bins of hair curlers and dress pins under their arms.

"You have to be here because you're a flower girl, honey. Just like Kim's daughter Nicole!" Emily called from the door, a small pregnant bump protruding from her stomach. She was pregnant with her second child, a girl they were going to name Jennifer, and already had a six year old son named Jackson. He was going to be a ring bearer, along with Embry and Cassie's son Adam, who was two.

"Mar!" Five year old Nicole shrieked as she streaked across the room, gazing up at her admirably. Marie smirked at her beloved nickname and crossed her arms proudly. She took Nicole's hand and led her into a corner, whispering to Nicole mischievously.

"Mar Bar! You and Colie can eat the pancakes while we get our hair and make-up done!" I called to them, and Marie shot me an annoyed glance before grabbing Nicole's arm again and walking her to the table. As they began to eat, I turned to the older girls and found them gathering mirrors, chairs, and all else we needed in a circle.

Cassie was already set doing hair, the perfect job for her since she runs a salon focusing on just that. A very, very pregnant twenty year old Hanna was helping out too, since she was Cassie's assistant. I found it awfully nice of her, since we couldn't find a place for her in the wedding. She and Alex had a very fast paced relationship; they eloped when she was just sixteen after dating for almost two years.

Since Cassie had taken charge of Emily, and Cassie was doing Kim, that left Rebecca and I. She turned a watery smile to me and shooed me into the chair, grabbing a hair curler. Becca was always amazing at doing these things, a total girl through and through.

"So, how's my nephew?"I said timidly as she ushered me to a chair. She giggled, grinning widely

"Ah, Lee is doing just fine! I asked him if he wanted to come and say hello to his cousin Marie, and he told me that he was not going to the 'girl party'. He was pretty grumpy because he hates planes, and of course we had to fly here! Kupona cheers him up easily enough though…" I let her babble away, not really listening and knowing that she would hardly notice.

My nephew Lee was only a few months younger than Marie, and I was sad to say I'd only ever met him two times in person. The first visit was for his third birthday, where Paul, Mar, and I went to Hawaii to surprise him, Becca, and her husband Kupona.

They came to La Push the second time barely a year later, because Billy had had a mild heart attack. Of course, that was a rather sad occasion. My dad was better now; and pretty healthy at the age of fifty-five.

"And then, the astronaut told me all about his second cousin's llama farm!" Rebecca caught my attention with this last sentence, and I laughed along with her, wondering what the hell she had been talking about.

"All done!" she smiled, and I made a sound of surprise as I noticed only forty-five minutes had passed. Usually, it took hours to up do hair as thick as mine, but she had whipped through it so quick. At my look of astonishment, her grin widened. "Ah, Mija, don't forget I have the same hair as you! I'm used to this thick mass of curls!"

"Of course, Me One… how could I forget?" I joked, referring to the nickname I had given her when we were eight year olds.

"Damn, Me Two, when was the last time we called each other that? Forever, at least!" We smiled in remembrance, and then she picked up the make-up tray, moving it closer until it was balanced beside me. "You going for the natural look?" she grunted, wiping her forehead gently with the back of her hand.

I nodded quickly as she dug through the different shades of eye shadow, knowing that Rebecca was not one to go for the natural look at all. I would have to help her pick all the make-up out, or things would end disastrously. After everyone finished each other's hair and make-up, not without squabbles, of course, Emily ducked out of the house to get our dresses.

I thanked the lord that we picked a day that wasn't going to rain. It was fairly nice out, not humid or too hot or cold, just normal with a tiny bit of sun. When she came back in, the girls bounded for their dresses and I disappeared into my room, getting my own dress and Marie's flower girl dress carefully.

I had preserved the dresses with my life, guarding them with everything in me and not letting Paul see a peep of the tiniest piece of fabric no matter what. I slipped back in the room and handed Marie her dress, which she handled just as delicately as I did.

I then grinned nervously at Emily before heading to the bathroom to change. I motioned quietly for her to follow me, and she did. Emily was my Maid of Honor, and she played the part well. Considering she was also Kim's, her sister's, and new wolf girl Lola's. No one particularly liked her… actually, most people hated her. Except for Louis, and then Emily and Cassie I guess, who are just too nice to dislike her so much.

She and Louis, her wolf, got married earlier this year, and she had Emily, and then Kim and her sister Mandy as her bridesmaids. Her sister was quite a slut… apparently, she fooled around with half the pack, including Louis, before they imprinted. Thank God Paul stayed away from that blasted family! It caused a large tiff between them, so it would have been really awkward if she was the Maid of Honor, but Lola still wanted her in the wedding and blah, blah, blah! Like I've said before, I detest drama.

Snapping myself back to the present, I finished positioning my dress the right way, and twisted in the mirror to gaze at it. It was, to put simply, quite gorgeous. I smiled widely, as Emily pressed her hands together, 'oohing' and 'awing' appropriately.

"Oh my God, Em! I can't believe this! I mean, after eleven fucking years, we're finally fucking doing it! Paul and I are getting married!" I squealed, squeezing her elbows. She laughed when she hugged me back, sliding easily into my embrace.

"Sweetie, I am so happy for you! And just in time, too!" she sing-songed. I glanced at her in confusion, and she gave me a knowing look.

"Oh come on! Paul was thinking of how you smelled with Jared on patrol, and then Jared thought about it with Sam, and he told me, and I imagine Jared told Kim. You should know by now that there are no secrets in the pack!" She waggled her finger at me. I was now even more confused, staring at her.

"Paul was thinking of how I_ smelled_? Why?" I asked her incredulously. She gave me a strange, bewildered look, which turned into confusion, then shock, terror, more shock, and then she fell against the wall, wringing her hands, clearly upset.

"Ooh shit! Ooh crap! What the hell have I done?" she cried, biting her lip angrily. I stared at her for a long time, and then shook my head.

"Emily, what're you talking about?" I asked her, and she cast her eyes downward.

"Never mind me; Paul will tell you when he needs to, okay?" Emily said nervously, and I opened my mouth to protest again…she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

"Like I said; never mind! We should get back out there, time is ticking by!" she sang, but something was slightly off about her voice, and curiosity erupted inside me. What was Paul hiding from me? I frowned, shaking my head to clear it out.

I would find out eventually what this was all about, but right now I had to focus on the wedding, and nothing could distract me.

The sand ran through my toes, my bare feet wriggling themselves deeper into the ground. I took a few breaths, trying to calm myself down. My bridesmaids were behind me, just watching as I poked my head out of the small shelter we were readying ourselves in.

"I think it's time, Rachel," whispered Emily softly. I bit my lip, nodding my head slowly. I didn't move though, nerves zapping through my veins like acid. I shivered when she stepped forward, putting a hand on my shoulder and guiding me to the back of the line. We had a mat placed down the aisle, so my dad would be able to move with me, and I took his elbow as he clutched my arm, staring at me proudly.

"Rachel, you do not have an idea of how… happy I am, to see you so at peace." His whispered words had me beaming.

I watched with glazed eyes as Marie, Nicole, Jackson, and Adam marched off first, the girls scattering flowers down the aisle, and the boys laden with pillows that had fake rings sewed onto them. Emily and Jared were entrusted with the real rings.

I swallowed as Embry and Cassie started walking, my heart pumping wildly when Jacob and Kim went off, and then Sam and Rebecca. My knees felt weak and my hands went clammy when Jared and Emily, Best Man and Maid of Honor, went off together.

I chewed on my lip as Billy rolled forward, looking back at me with a smile. Taking a deep breath, I walked to him and he took my elbow, guiding me forward.

As soon as I stepped forward, nothing else mattered but the man standing at the end of the beach. Paul was wearing an impeccable black and gray tux, beaming at me with a wild, hungry glint in his eyes. I was now tugging Billy forward instead of him pulling me; my eagerness to get to Paul was so great.

And then we were there, and my dad let go of me so Paul could take my arm, supporting me as I strode to the pastor. I could barely keep myself from jumping on Paul as the man drone on and on, never ending it seemed.

Finally, he asked who had the rings, and Emily and Jared came forward, distributing them to us. We slid them on each other's fingers.

Paul took a deep breath before starting his vow, "Rachel- my life was nothing without you in it. When I met you, I knew from one look that we were made for each other," he paused there, and I stifled a giggle at the mischievous glint in his eye, "And now, here we are, a couple decades later, standing at the alter. I promise you that I will never let you down, never disapoint. I will be there for you, and I will stop anything that tries to hurt you. Nothing will ever come between us. You are more important than my own life, than anything else in the world. I love you now, I loved you before, and I'm sure as hell gonna love you tomorrow and all the days after that." I beamed at him as he finished, wanting so badly to wrap my legs around his waist and kiss him.

But it was my turn to distribute my vows, and I grinned at him as I began, "Paul... I am in awe right now, standing in front of you. I can't believe I got so lucky as to have a family with you, and be with you. I would say I don't deserve this, but you made me realize that I do. You make me feel amazing, like I'm the most special woman in the world, and I want you to know that you're the most amazing man in the world. I love you so much. I know we had a rocky start, but that doesn't matter anymore. I will stand by your side no matter what you get yourself into, and I will support you even if you're totally wrong. You are everything to me, and like you just said, nothing in the fricken' universe can come between us. Ever."

Paul looked like he wanted to make-out with me, as well, by the time I finished, and he was bouncing with anticipation as the minister went through our 'I do's'. Finally, he took a step away from us, and we pressed our bodies against each other's in anticipation.

"I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Paul Walker! You may kiss the bride!" he announced, holding his arms to the sky and grinning as he finally poured some emotion into his voice.

We didn't hesitate as I pressed my lips to his, pouring all my happiness and joy into that one movement. It lasted only five seconds before he pulled away, but he didn't loosen his arms around my waist. I didn't realize that tears were trailing down my cheek until Paul wiped them away with his thumb.

He lugged me off my feet, carrying me down the aisle. We weren't having a reception, just going straight to our honeymoon. It wasn't anything big, just four days in Seattle while Jake and Nessie watched Marie for us.

Their relationship was agonizingly slow-paced. They got together when Nessie was six, that wasn't too slow, but he hasn't proposed in the five years since then, though Nessie has been full grown. She's getting a bit desperate.

Now, Paul was kissing me affectionately down my cheek to the base of my neck, making me bite my lip. "Ooh, babe!" I giggled, and he laughed breezily.

"Fuck, I love you so much Tiger!" he whispered as my hands roamed his perfect chest.

"Me too, Paul! I can't believe we finally did this," I whispered, nibbling on his earlobe. I felt him get hard against me and started grinding against his member.

"The worst part of it was not being able to see you all day," he said, "how was everything?" he added. I shrugged, and then remembered an earlier conversation with Emily.

"Well, there was this one thing… Emily said something about you thinking about how I smelled weird, and then immediately dropped the subject. What was that about?" I asked him. He froze underneath me, his eyes wide and scared.

"I am going to kill Sam!" he roared, rolling off me and ruffling his messy hair. I rose an eyebrow at him, lips pursed in confusion.

"Uh-uhm, okay? Just tell me what this is about!" I ordered, and he sighed.

"Rachel, your smell has changed into that of a pregnant woman. You're pregnant," he said, his voice straining to keep calm.

It took me a moment to let the words sink in, and then I gasped as my hands flew to my mouth. My head pounded as I started hyperventilating. "What? Are you sure? Oh my god, fuck!" I screeched, waving myarms wildly as my face turned red.

"Calm down, calm down babe! I only smelled it a couple days ago, and then you were so stressed, I figured I'd wait until the wedding stuff ended, or let you find out yourself… I just didn't want you to worry more," he mumbled, and I groaned.

"It's fine… I don't want to argue on our wedding night. But how are we going to do this?" I whispered, my head spinning. He laughed, shrugging.

"How we do everything else… wing it." **_

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**Heyla,**

**Thanks to those who reviewed! I loved all of them, especially cuz I got a few extra this time around!**

**Again, I want to send a shout-out to laurazuleta18!**

**I am so sad, and yet a little proud to say, that the next chapter is the epilogue. It's been an amazing journey, and this is my baby, but I have to bid ado. **

**As always, TwilightHeart21**


	30. Epilogue Ten Years Later

**Epilogue – Ten Years Later **

**2028**

"AHHH! Paul I fucking hate you for doing this to me!" I screamed my lungs off as the doctor told me to push again. Paul's white face looked down at me and he squeezed my hand lightly, but didn't say anything as I continued to scream at him.

I, a thirty-nine year old woman, am giving birth for the third time to my fourth child. Probably confused as to how that's possible? Well apparently my twin genes came into play with Paul's and my second time getting pregnant.

Twins Kevin Paul Black and Kyle Rupert Black were born on December 15, 2019 at four o'clock in the morning, delivered via c-section because Kyle decided he'd just flip around and not let Kevin out.

Both Paul and I had been worried out of our minds during this time, afraid that one of them would die. We took extra precaution, not taking one chance. We were relieved when our two babies were born completely healthy and happy. Marie was ecstatic to gain new siblings, albeit a bit disappointed that both of them were boys.

They were now almost nine years old, and complete trouble makers, just like Paul who they seemed to be all about in personality. They were opposite of Marie in the sense that she was all my personality and all Paul in looks. Really, Kyle and Kev looked like male copies of Rebecca and I when we were kids.

And now, because of a broken condemn and a missed birth control pill, little Sue/Billy was coming along, about to be born and putting me through the birth process which I hadn't gone through in seventeen fucking years.

"PAUL, you will go to hell- AHH AH AAAH!" I screamed, squeezing his hand so tightly he gave a little squeak. It felt like my insides were turning out, moving and pushing through me to get to another place…

"Okay Mrs. Walker! One more push should do it…give it all you've got!" the doctor urged, his head just visible over my splayed out legs.

"I _am_ giving it all I got!" I said through my teeth, but leaned up, Paul supporting my back as I gave one final push, making a weird, squealing noise as I did so… and then, I could feel the baby come out, and fell back onto the bed with a ragged breath of relief.

A wailing sound filled the air, the cry of a newborn baby, and Paul gripped my hand as the doctor lifted her up, showing us our slime covered, crying, beautiful baby. She had a few brown hairs on her head, all Paul's, and tears stung my eyes as he excitedly cut her cord.

"Congratulations, you have a baby girl!" the doctor grinned as the nurse took her, starting to clean her up. A swell of happiness made me beam in surprise, and Paul grinned at me as we both peered over the nurse's shoulder to see our beautiful daughter.

"Sue Rachel Walker! We have another baby girl!" Paul choked, burying his head in my hair and taking a deep breath. I gave a shaky little laugh, still kind of in shock.

"Yeah, we do…" I whispered, trailing off as Sue was placed in my arms. Tears stirred in my eyes as I kissed her forehead. She stirred slightly, but didn't open her eyes. She was making little whimpering noises now, her wailing cries having been quelled.

"Can you believe it? Us having to do it all over again," I sniffled as I gazed down at her, thinking of preschool and lunch money and boyfriends and smoking and the fact that she would graduate when we'd be over fifty-five.

"I won't mind," Paul whispered, not wanting to wake her. I leaned into him, smiling.

"You can call the kids and Jesse in… but no un-imprinted wolves are allowed to see her until she's at least a month old!" I warned, and Paul laughed, but agreed with a grin. He left, and I was alone with the newest addition to the family…

"Hey, Sue. I'm your mama. I am going to make some mistakes, but I don't want you to take after me… I will help you make the best decisions in your life, I promise. I and your daddy already love you so much… but you are our last! You're the baby of the family! And daddy is gonna get a vasectomy to make sure of that!" I said to her, and there was a burst of laughter.

"Mother, what are you saying to my dearest new little sister?" Marie demanded sarcastically as she strode into the room, her hands resting across her large, pregnant belly.

Marie, despite Jesse's presence, was quite a hard-ass in her teenage years, taking after me I suppose…though I was not as bad. She did drugs and smoked, Paul could tell when she got home…and we tried everything we could to get her to stop, but she would only scream at us and ignore us.

And finally, Jesse got her to stop… by getting together with her. I almost killed him, Paul at my side, but we finally calmed down enough to just let them be together. We wanted them to wait until she was eighteen, but of course they couldn't keep apart from each other for two fucking years.

And about nine months after they got together, Marie came home one night smelling like sex. Paul went berserk, beat Jesse until Embry, our then current alpha, had to intervene and order Paul to calm down.

They used condemns but of course Mar wasn't on birth control. So now, here she is six months pregnant and having my grandchild three months after I have a daughter.

Now, Jesse stood behind her, smiling at Sue and rubbing Marie's stomach with excitement. "Just think, baby, that'll be us in a few months," he whispered, kissing her neck, making her shiver and me give him a sharp glare of annoyance. He pulled away immediately, but still had an arm around her waist.

"Mama, she's so wrinkled!" Kevin exclaimed, scrunching his nose as he stared at Sue. Kyle nodded in agreement and I rolled my eyes with a laugh.

"Boys, you looked exactly like this when you were born! Everyone does!"I sighed, and Paul wrapped his knuckles on their heads goofily.

"Yes, Sue. Always listen to our almighty mom, because if you don't dad will yell at you!" Marie cooed in baby talk at Sue, making her stir again and whack her hands up, touching my skin. She started making little cries, and I guessed what that meant.

"Kev, Kyle, and Jesse, cover your eyes up right now," I ordered as I lifted my gown down, latching Sue on expertly. After having three kids, I was now great at this. Kyle suckled for a year, the mama's boy he is, while Kev went nine months and Marie seven months.

"Mom, do you think that my baby will be a girl?" Marie said dreamily, a fixated expression on her face. She seemed to already know that it would be a girl, and I raised my eyebrows at her. "Not that I care if the baby is a boy or girl… but wouldn't it be cool if aunt and niece could be best friends? They'll be in the same grade and everything…" she trailed off, her eyes somewhere else as Jesse kissed her cheek.

"Yes, it would be amazing," he breathed, and Paul made a gagging noise.

"Stop it. Right now; I am warning you!" Paul growled. Well, it wasn't so much of a growl as a sneer.

Paul stopped phasing shortly after Kyle and Kevin were born, it was really bugging me how old I was getting while he was staying at eighteen. It made me feel like a cougar, which I am fucking not.

He slipped a lot in the beginning, but got really good and didn't phase for six years… until Marie had…sex, shudder, with Jesse. Though he still hasn't done it in the months since then!

The doctor knocked gently on the door then, entering as Sue finished up her feeding. "Hello Mrs. Walker, Mr. Walker. We just need your baby; Sue I thought you called her, to be taken in, you know, to make sure everything is going well." He smiled, and I begrudgingly let him take Sue out of the room.

Marie squeezed my arm as I longingly looked after my newborn, and the twins climbed onto my bed, cuddling against my side with grins on their small faces.

"Auntie Emily was disappointed when dad told her Sue was a girl. She said she lost twenty bucks to Uncle Embry," Kyle giggled and I rolled my eyes. The pack was so obsessed with bets of any kind, still! It was surprising how much Emily took to them; she was one of the only Wolf girls, besides Claire who was a bitch when it came to that type of thing, who got involved in bets.

I personally thought that bets were stupid, but that was just me…I also frowned at Paul whenever he got involved in one. Marie scoffed at me slightly, but I chose to ignore it.

Marie was… against some of my…opinions. She accused me of being judgmental, which is one of the reasons we don't particularly get along, though I still love the girl like crazy.

The pack had stayed pretty much the same, though countless additions had arrived. Sam and Emily had their four children: Jack, Jenny, John and Janie. Jack was now a member of the pack at age sixteen.

Jared and Kim had their hands full with two daughters, Nicole and Anna, and a five year old son named Jamie.

Embry and Cassie also had a brood of their own with three kids, Adam, Brian, and Margaret.

Jake and Nessie didn't have any kids of their own, even though Nessie reached full maturity a decade ago. Fuck, he didn't even propose until she was fourteen years old. The poor girl had been waiting on him for eight years.

They got married around three years ago, after a fricken four year engagement, might I add. (Jake insisted on taking their relationship painfully slow.) They had started trying for kids about a year ago, but so far nothing has happened. I felt kinda sorry for my sister-in-law, knowing that she had waited on Jake and now she'd have to wait on the joy of having children.

Quil and Claire got married about four years ago when she was nineteen, and Quil Jr. was born about two years afterward.

Collin and his imprint, Angie (also Embry's sister) had had their triplets just last year: Charlotte, Kathleen, and Tyler.

Max had ended up getting with Amanda, and they had their twins Lana and Lily about six years ago.

Alex and his imprint Hanna, Claire's older sister, had had a fast-paced, scandalous relationship complete with three accidental pregnancies, elopement, and an affair that almost crushed their relationship and Alex himself. Their daughters were named Sydney, Yolanda, and Roxanne.

Jill had had a normal relationship and marriage, no imprint involved, and since she could not stop phasing and therefore couldn't bear children, she and her husband Will hired a surrogate to have their four year old son Declan.

Louis had imprinted on this snotty bitch named Lola a few years back, and they'd fallen in love and gotten married, all that crap. It wasn't long before Lola wanted a baby, and they tried for about two years before she left him.

Yeah, she fucking left him. It almost utterly destroyed him. Of course, she came back and he welcomed her with open arms. They actually had sex on the night she came back, effectively conceiving their first child, Peter.

That little episode did end any attempt at our friendship, though. They had one other child, a girl recently born named Jay-Ophelia.

Now, Jesse caressed Marie's belly, and Paul leaned against the bed pressing his lips to my cheek, nibbling my ear, which made the boys make gagging noises, slipping off the bed and standing next to their older sister.

"Can you believe we got this ending? I mean, after all we did to keep apart from each other, how happy we ended up?" I smiled at him through tears that were attempting to spill out of my eyes. He gave me a thin, happy smile.

"I told you from the beginning; we were meant for each other…destined for each other," he grinned, and I laughed a little, kissing him sweetly.

"We're a very odd couple to be destined for each other," I mused. He shrugged a little, caressing my cheek with a gentle touch.

"Yeah, well, it looks like we made up a new kind of 'destined'," he whispered, softly blowing in my ear which made me shiver, licking my lips.

"Guess we just defined our own destiny," I smirked, and he chuckled.

"I suppose we did, Tiger." He purred, and I growled back at him, pretending to claw at him with my hand. Marie moaned in agony over in the corner, slapping a hand over her eyes.

"Mother, please! I am fucking begging you to not do that with me, or your upcoming grandchild, in the room. I do not want my daughter- oh shit! I mean child, to um-" She faltered at the looks of excitement on our faces.

"Hey! I thought we were going to not going to know the gender until…she was born!" Jesse exclaimed, shocked. Marie blushed with embarrassment, something only Jesse could make her do.

"I'm sorry; the wait was getting to me. I called the doctor a week ago to find out… but yes, we're going to have little Katie!" she squealed, and Jesse threw his arms around her, the look on his face one of pure happiness.

"Oh! This means that Sue will have a niece!" I sang, grabbing Paul's hand.

I looked around, and felt more happiness and pride than I ever had before. I looked at the twins and Marie and Jesse, and Marie's stomach which was holding little Katie in it, and I thought of Sue, and I beamed at the family that Paul helped me create, at the love and hope I gained from him.

"I love you so much," I breathed to him, and he smirked a little, kissing my jaw line.

"Love you more!" he joked back, and I brought my hand up, grabbing the hair on the back of his neck and bringing his lips to mine, kissing him with all the passion I had in me.

"Tiger, I really think I need to get a vasectomy, because at the rate you kiss we're gonna be having kids into our fifties…"

I slapped him softly on the cheek, rolling my eyes and pecking him on the neck, and Marie groaned, tugging Jesse and the twins out of the room as Paul and I got into our kiss, his tongue finding mine and letting me enter complete bliss.

"I really do agree with you, maybe we should…" I murmured as he started to rip my hospital gown off, though it was refusing to. "Ah, sweetie, I don't really think we should be having sex thirty minutes after I gave birth," I added, and Paul shot me a disgruntled look, but climbed off me.

"Fine. But Tiger, I really wanna lay you..."

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**Perfect ending, don't you think? :D**

**This has been such an amazing journey, my writing has improved tenfold because of it. I want to thank everybody who has helped me out during the time it took to finish this, including laurazuleta18, one of my favorite fanfiction chicas of all time! Also, the beta I had for a bit, Lorelei Eve! Love ya both!**

**I have had this going for about a year and a month, and I can barely believe it! **

**As always TwilightHeart21**


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